


Good Intentions

by Arigatomina



Series: Sacrifice Universe [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Timeline What Timeline, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 06:16:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 45,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17381195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arigatomina/pseuds/Arigatomina
Summary: Sacrifice prequel, KakaIru Yaoi. Iruka is looking for someone who will accept him just the way he is. Kakashi is just looking for the real Iruka.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: This fic takes place in the same slightly AU world as "Sacrifice," but happens a few years earlier than that one. If you haven't read that fic, the only big change is that the third hokage died in the Kyuubi attack instead of the fourth.  
> Pairings: KakashixIruka KakaIru, reference to past MizukixIruka  
> Warnings: manipulative Mizuki, gullible Iruka, nice Kakashi, language, and explicit KakaIru smut

It was dark by the time Iruka let himself into his apartment. He had traveled straight through, finishing his mission in record time, for him at least, by telling himself that he would have the entire weekend to recuperate. Sadly, any motivation that little fantasy had inspired in him met a quick death the moment he flicked on the light and spotted furtive scurrying out of the corner of his eye. The excitement of renting his own place for the first time had faded months ago. No matter how impeccable and empty he kept his apartment, he couldn't do anything to curb the vermin when they were breeding freely in other parts of the building. And despite his determination to save his money, he knew he'd be buying more poison tomorrow. Even if he finished his report tonight and turned it in before the mission room closed, it could be a week or more before it was processed. No, there would be no weekend off for him in the near future, as he'd known all along.

His frustration and weariness combined messily when he reached the kitchen and found his coffee supply decimated. No one living in this part of the village bothered to put wards on their doors or windows. Doing so would proclaim that there was something worth protecting inside. He could still place wards on his cabinets, though. That would at least make it a little harder for his best friend to raid them while he was away. He found a sad little teabag hiding in the back of the box, and sat at the table to write up his mission report. If he was lucky, he'd get a mission for tomorrow and then he wouldn't be tempted to replace anything that had been scavenged from his cupboard. That really was the best way to save money, and it would serve Mizuki right to find his pantry empty except for a hoard of starving roaches the next time he stopped by.

As if summoned by the thought, Iruka heard a poof and then the sound of his refrigerator door opening. He sighed to himself. Not so much as a hello before the rummaging began. "I'm going to put up a seal so you can't just pop in here like that," he muttered, scowling at his report.

Mizuki snorted and abandoned the empty fridge in favor of smirking down at Iruka. "What's the matter? Was the C-rank mission too much for you?"

"You know it was a B-rank mission," Iruka said, shooting him a reproachful look before turning his attention back to his report.

"Barely."

Iruka kept his eyes down, knowing he couldn't argue with that. All he'd done was deliver a scroll. If the trip hadn't taken him along the boarder of Sound it would barely have qualified as a C-rank mission. He finished his report and proofread it slowly. Unfortunately, Mizuki didn't take the hint. He had hoped that by returning in the evening he might miss him. He should have known better. The report was swiped from his hand, and his eyes snapped up. "I was reading that."

"You're done," Mizuki said impatiently, tossing the sheet onto the table. "I'm meeting some of the guys later, so let's hurry this up."

Iruka stared at him, not bothering to hide his exasperation. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why Mizuki was still pushing this. He was acting as if they hadn't gone through this just a few days ago. "I'm not having sex with you," he said flatly. "Not now, not after your next mission, not ever again. I'm done. Accept it and move on, please."

"You're still saying that?" Mizuki groaned and shot a disgusted look at the door before reluctantly jerking a chair out to sit in. He leaned his elbows on the table, giving his most patronizing stare. "You can't just stop because you suck at it. Face it, Iruka, you're addicted. Without that release, your temper starts flaring and you're hell to be around. That's not as bad as the guys who go psycho without it, but it's pretty damn close. If you're not getting it from me, what are you going to do? Jerk off from now on?"

"Considering that's the only time I come when I do have sex, yes, I probably will," Iruka muttered.

"Don't be a bitch," Mizuki huffed, rolling his eyes. "We both know you're not satisfied without a cock in your ass. Oh, don't look at me like that. You can play the prude out there, but I know better. I told you it's nothing to be ashamed of. I know a few guys who prefer it that way. I've even tried it myself. The only reason I won't do it with you is because you come too fast. It's not my fault you won't wear that ring I offered you."

Iruka bristled, an angry flush rising to his face. "Well excuse me for not wanting to use torture devices during sex. I guess I'm old fashioned that way."

"You're old fashioned in every way, which is why you're such a lousy lay," Mizuki waved dismissively. "If you'd just take a few pointers I could hook you up with someone. I know Tari's always wanted to break someone in, and he has this senbon technique that could fix half your problems."

"I don't want to be set up with one of your friends, especially him," Iruka snapped. He sure as hell didn't need to be 'broken in' by a would-be interrogation specialist. He had enough problems without adding that sort of trauma to the list. "What's wrong with you? If I won't let you tie me up, what makes you think I'd even consider having sex with someone going into T&I? All I want is simple uncomplicated sex with someone who isn't going to complain about every single thing I do. I can find that on my own."

"Maybe in a whore house," Mizuki scoffed. "You'd have to pay someone to compliment you, and you can't afford it. Even if you could save up enough, you'll never get hired into the academy if you get a reputation for being so incompetent you have to pay for your sex. We're not genin anymore. A chunin has to at least have the social skills to satisfy his needs within the village. You might look cute enough to get picked up, but once he gets you in bed that'll be the end of that. Being known for one-night stands is nearly as bad as whore-hopping. Just accept the facts and be grateful for what you've got."

"I'm not ungrateful," Iruka said quietly. He was furious, but he refused to let it show. If he let his temper get the better of him, Mizuki would just use that as proof that he really couldn't control himself without regular sex. "I'm glad you introduced me to sex despite my misgivings. There's no way I would have had the courage to approach someone back then, and I'm glad I had a friend to ease me into it. But, as you pointed out, we're not genin anymore. I'm fully capable of finding someone for myself now, and if it takes a few one night stands to find someone willing to put up with me, so be it. I'm not your problem anymore. You have never liked having sex with me, so why don't you be grateful that I'm letting you off the hook?"

"Because I know you," Mizuki muttered. "You're not going to find someone. You're not even going to try. You're just going to keep throwing yourself into back-to-back missions until you snap. You'll either get yourself killed or you'll blow up on a superior and ruin any chance of accomplishing your dream. Do you really expect me to just sit back and watch that happen? You might be a lousy lay, but you're a good friend. I take care of my friends."

"I appreciate that," Iruka sighed. He really did. Mizuki was tactless and brutally honest with his criticism, but he had always been there when he needed him. He just couldn't get through to him that he didn't need him anymore, not for this. He had come to dread having sex with him and was determined never to do it again. It had been different in the beginning, back when Mizuki had thought he might eventually improve enough to be worth having sex with. Now he viewed it as a chore, putting out for his pathetic friend, and Iruka was frankly sick of it. He was also leery of the direction their last few encounters had taken. Mizuki and his preferred sex partners might be into 'spicing things up', but he definitely was not.

He got up and retrieved his report. "I'm going to turn this in. Have fun with the guys, and don't worry about me. I'll drop by the bar on my way back. If I don't find someone tonight, I'll try again next weekend."

"You're not going to last five minutes in there by yourself," Mizuki spat, his eyes flashing as he rose from the table. "Go ahead and try. The only sex you'll be getting is a drunken fuck in the alley. Enjoy that. Just make sure you wear a condom so you don't come all over the poor slob's hand the second he touches you. Not everyone is as nice as me about shit like that. Once you're done fooling yourself, you know where to find me. You better not come back with a disease, though, or I swear I'll kick your flabby ass."

Iruka flinched when the door slammed behind his irate friend. Mizuki could be vicious when angry, but at the moment even that was a relief. For all Mizuki's talk about his temper problem, he had one of his own. He hated to be contradicted, and if Iruka really did prove him wrong he would likely sulk for weeks. That was assuming Iruka could actually make good on his word. He had only been to the bar a few times and never by himself. He had watched people make connections, but he had never been sure who was picking up whom. There was an underlying system to how male shinobi found partners of convenience that Iruka had never learned. He would probably make a fool of himself. It was a first step, though, and one he had to take because Mizuki was right. Although he didn't consider himself addicted to sex, he honestly did enjoy it too much to simply go without. More than anything, it was the physical contact itself that he craved, especially after a rough mission. He didn't have time to devote himself to a serious relationship, and his interaction with Mizuki had taught him that sex complicated even strong friendships. That only left fellow shinobi in the same situation he was in. He was a competent chunin with a good record so far, and there was no reason he couldn't make a connection just like anyone else. He just had to find someone with standards and expectations as low as his own.

He kept telling himself that all through the long wait in the mission office. The place was as chaotic and disorganized as ever, making him glad he had decided against asking for another mission tonight. Knowing his luck, he'd mistakenly end up with a jounin level mission he'd have to return first thing in the morning or one so low-leveled and messy it wasn't worth the pay. Things were usually quieter in the morning, so he could come back then if his trip to the bar proved futile. His mind was already planning the venture out, where he would sit, how he would behave, what sort of people he would look for. He barely noticed when someone shoved past him at the door, knocking him back a step and into the crowd of shinobi loitering at the back of the room. He tossed a reflexive apology over his shoulder and hurried outside. The cool night air and silence after all that noise strengthened his resolve. He was actually going to go through with it.

By the time he reached the bar, he was battling second thoughts with a vengeance. He hadn't changed or cleaned up after his mission. In fact, he hadn't even looked in the mirror. But if he went back to his apartment now, he knew he would put off going to the bar until tomorrow night. Then he'd get a mission in the morning and put it off again until his return. It would be the perfect excuse to procrastinate, and then he'd have Mizuki to deal with all over again. He told himself it didn't matter if he looked messy. He had no expectations of leaving with someone tonight, anyway. This was merely a reconnaissance mission, a chance to see how others went about this, so he'd be better prepared next time. And less terrified, honestly. He hated being the center off attention, with everyone watching him expectantly. That was exactly what happened when he entered the bar by himself for the first time. He had known it would be. He had a tendency to blush and say stupid things when people stared at him, so he ignored everyone and went straight to the bar. He ordered the cheapest beer, mentally berating himself for wasting the money, and then retreated to the table in the back that he had chosen in advance. Luckily it was empty, just as it had been the last time he'd come here with Mizuki.

He kept his eyes down and sipped at his beer, which tasted just as cheap as it was. He tried to relax and look casual. The hard part was over. He was in. Now all he had to do was wait until people forgot about him. Then he could start scoping the place out and watching the door the way all of the other solitary patrons were doing. He had barely calmed his nerves when a bottle was thumped down in front of him. He gave a little jump, his eyes flashing up to find one of the bartenders, who jerked his head to the left. Iruka looked over to see a middle-aged jounin raising his own bottle with a small smile, before turning his attention to the men seated with him. Knowing the drink had been sent either out of pity or sympathy, Iruka flushed and mumbled, "Give him my thanks." He slumped a little lower in his seat, feeling every bit the fool Mizuki proclaimed him to be. So much for hiding in the back of the room. He couldn't have stood out more had he stamped 'does-not-belong' on his forehead protector.

Someone else came into the bar, and like most of the others, he looked toward the door. Rather than focus on the person who had entered, he took the opportunity to check out the other solitary people in the bar. He was surprised to spot one who he recognized, a chunin he had been paired with during one of his first missions after being promoted. The man had made a show of arrogantly bossing him around until halfway through the mission, at which point he finally admitted he had only held the rank for a few months longer than Iruka himself. He wasn't much to look at thanks to some prominent scarring, but Iruka had found him quite likable once the chip was removed from his shoulder. He had a brash if somewhat crude sense of humor and a bold nature that Iruka envied, and he looked completely at ease sitting alone at the bar. In fact, he looked as if he were waiting for someone. That was just as well. They were likely to have more missions together in the future, and the entire point of coming here was so he wouldn't resort to sleeping with friends.

Another pair entered the bar, and this time he didn't feel as awkward about looking around. A jounin seated two tables away was openly leering at him. A quick glance at the man's smirking companions had him ignoring the lot of them. Mizuki had said he was cute enough to get picked up, so he shouldn't be surprised that some might view him as an easy mark. Or maybe they were just amused at his expense. Either way, they were jounin, which automatically eliminated them as far as he was concerned. He was looking for someone as awkward and easy going as himself. The few jounin he had interacted with had been terribly conceited, and the last thing he wanted was to find himself with someone even worse than Mizuki. He supposed he should set his sights on a special jounin, or someone hoping to make that rank. They walked a fine line between the ranks and tended to be as busy as Anbu, leaving no time for serious relationships. Unfortunately the only special jounin he knew personally was Genma, a man who he often encountered in the mission room. He was something of a gossip, and though they weren't quite friends he definitely didn't want him to know what he was like in bed. He'd never be able to look him in the eye again. Iruka sipped his beer, wondering if he were being too particular. He was getting to know more and more of his fellow shinobi, and if he made it a point to eliminate everyone he knew that wouldn't leave him with many options. And if he only considered strangers, he had no way of knowing if they would be the sort he was looking for.

He didn't realize someone had joined him until he heard the bottle being opened. His eyes snapped up, locking warily on a pale-haired man with a mask covering most of his face. The combination was so unique he was sure he'd seen the man somewhere recently, but he couldn't say where. He stared blankly as the man poured some of the gifted liquor into a glass, raised it to his masked nose for a habitual sniff, and then slid it across the table to him.

"Asuma always buys this for fresh faces," the man said. "No sense letting it go to waste."

For a moment Iruka simply stared at the glass, feeling very foolish. Then he reluctantly looked up. "Asuma?"

"Don't get your hopes up," the man drawled easily, his visible eye crinkling in a slight smile "He isn't actually available, just friendly."

"Oh," Iruka said quietly. He picked up the glass and had no shame in savoring the taste. It was a treat after the cheap beer he'd been drinking. And it was nice to know it had been given out of sympathy rather than pity. Had this visit been made out of sympathy as well? He felt rude for staring, but he was usually good at putting names to faces. Although the man's mask obscured his face, the slanted forehead protector was particular and the shock of silver-white hair was very familiar. "Have we met?"

"You don't remember."

Iruka winced. He was suddenly conscious of the attention on them, or rather, on the man seated across from him. The scarred chunin he had recognized earlier had been joined by someone, and both were shooting glances back at the man. The other shinobi in the bar were very aware of his presence, shooting surreptitious looks of their own rather than staring outright. His vest proclaimed him a jounin, and his calm and confident manner implied he took the attention he was getting for granted. That told Iruka the man was known for his achievements rather than for being a regular at this particular bar. He certainly hadn't seen him here during the few visits he'd made with Mizuki. There was no chance of them having met during a mission, so that only left a chance encounter in the village. The only time he regularly brushed elbows with jounin was in the mission room, and then he rarely spoke to them. They were usually short-tempered and impatient, in a hurry to-

"Oh!" Iruka blurted, his eyes widening as he made the connection. "Are you the one I bumped into earlier?"

"Careened into is more accurate," the jounin corrected him, in an amused tone. "You made a valiant attempt to knock me down."

"I'm very sorry about that," Iruka said quickly, flushing in embarrassment. "I'm not usually so clumsy. Or rude," he added, remembering that he hadn't even faced the man when he had offered his apology. For a moment he wondered if the man had followed him here to get a proper apology, but he quickly dismissed that. The mission room was always chaotic at night, with minor skirmishes often breaking out due to the jostling of cranky and heavily armed shinobi.

"No harm done," Kakashi waved. He could easily have stepped out of the way and left the man standing next to him take the knock instead. Frankly, he'd been curious about the harried chunin with the cute ass and hadn't minded having said posterior shoved into his crotch. It had been a firm reminder that he had been celibate a little too long. Once he realized where the chunin was headed it had only been natural to follow. He had known Asuma would be here tonight, so he had taken the time to make himself a little more presentable before showing up. By buying first-timers a drink, Asuma always ensured that the worst of the pervs left them alone. And since the chunin had still been alone when he entered, Kakashi was fairly confident he hadn't been planning to join or meet someone. Still, it didn't hurt to make sure. He gave a good look around the room, sending a particularly cold stare at one of the resident pervs. The man had the good sense to turn his attention elsewhere. "You seemed to be in quite a hurry," he commented. "Were you meeting someone?"

"Here?" Iruka smiled weakly at how dense that made him sound, and shook his head. "No. I've never come here by myself before, so I was in a hurry to get here before I could lose my nerve." He lifted his glass pointedly. "First-timer jitters, I suppose."

"That's better than being jaded." Kakashi watched appreciatively as the chunin savored his drink. He had a rule against sleeping with drunks, and he resented that others in the bar were also watching the expressions on the man's scarred face, but he had to admit there was something attractive in the way he wasn't at all guarded about enjoying himself. Considering how nervous and conflicted the man had looked when he had first sat down across from him, this was definitely an improvement. He took full credit for putting him at ease, mostly because he usually had the opposite effect on people. It was refreshing to talk to someone who had no idea who he was. Perhaps he should have considered hooking up with a chunin sooner. His Anbu partners were experienced and efficient, but they rarely expressed enjoyment, let alone openly. It was foolish to show weakness that way. This chunin would learn that eventually and it would be a real shame.

Iruka wondered if the jounin considered himself jaded. He hadn't gotten that impression of him at all. But he supposed after a few years even picking a stranger up at a bar for an intimate encounter would become routine. He couldn't imagine himself ever reaching that point, though. Once he was working full-time at the academy he planned to settle down in a serious relationship and never set foot in a bar again. Mizuki might envy jounin, but Iruka felt sorry for people whose only intimate relations came during fleeting encounters after particularly rough missions. According to Mizuki, even the ones who tried to settle down continued to have partners of convenience they turned to when things got bad because they couldn't expose that side of themselves to the people they cared about. That was just part of being a shinobi. He sighed and offered a small smile to the jounin seated across from him. There was no sense giving in to melancholy. For all he knew, jounin loved their lives just the way they were. This man looked perfectly at ease in the bar and would probably laugh if he knew Iruka had even considered feeling sorry for him.

"Do you come here often?" Iruka asked. There was another bar in the village frequented exclusively by jounin and Anbu. He wondered if that was where the truly jaded shinobi hung out. Perhaps this man had come here as a break from that.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, a little taken aback and very amused. "That's the oldest pick-up line in existence."

The sheer absurdity of him trying to pick up a jounin startled Iruka into a laugh. His face burned and he rubbed absently at the scar across the bridge of his nose. "I didn't think about how it would sound," he winced. "Since I'm an admitted first-timer, I hope you'll let me down gently." He immediately blushed harder and hid behind his drink. His jokes were always so lame he should have known better than to even attempt one. Unfortunately his occasional bouts of awkward humor were as difficult to control as his temper.

Kakashi was sure he could hear the perv to his left licking his lips. He sent the man an icy glare, and then reached over to pluck away the glass hiding that adorably embarrassed face. He topped it off and slid it back with a teasing smile. "Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of turning you down." As for the request to be gentle, he'd wait and see if it still applied later.

With a weak grin, Iruka bit back the first response that came to mind. A quick 'your place or mine' might sound witty in his head, but he knew it would fall flat the moment he said it. Instead, he silently sipped at his drink, giving his embarrassment a chance to subside. He saw the jounin's eye flick to the side, and glanced over himself. There were more people in the bar now, and quite a few of them were sneaking peeks at his companion. Iruka straightened guiltily. All joking aside, he really was monopolizing the man's attention. There were no longer any empty tables for one of them to move to, and he knew he hadn't been here long enough to simply leave. There were more chunin here now, including a few he might have a chance with. None of them appeared to have been gifted with the telltale 'first-timer' bottle, but at least one of them was alone. He firmly reminded himself why he was here and turned back to the jounin.

"I'm sorry," Iruka said quietly. "It's been nice talking to you, but don't let me keep you. I'm sure you have better things to do with your time."

"Like what?" Kakashi frowned. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but he didn't like the sudden change that had come over the man. He turned to see who the chunin had been staring at and wrinkled his nose. There was another chunin seated at the bar behind him. Surely that wasn't who had caught the man's attention. The guy was ugly, dumpy, and even from a few feet away Kakashi could smell that he hadn't bathed in days. He whipped back around, pinning a slightly outraged stare on his companion. "Are you saying you'd rather be talking to him?"

Iruka was taken back by the man's tone. He leaned away, blinking in surprise. "Well, no, but I might get somewhere if I did. I'm sorry if I came off as rude just now." The jounin certainly looked as if he had insulted him. "It's just that if I spend my entire time here talking to you, I'll be taking the easy way out. And you obviously didn't come here to drink, so I don't want you to feel obligated to keep me company when you'd rather be picking someone up."

There was some sort of misunderstanding going on here. Kakashi set aside his annoyance for the moment and calmly pointed out the obvious. "I am picking someone up."

"Oh," Iruka blinked. He didn't understand. Rather than admit that, he sipped at his drink. The jounin continued to stare at him, so after a minute Iruka set the glass down and admitted the truth. "I don't know how anyone does this. I thought you just came in, watched for someone sitting alone, and then went over and started up a conversation."

"That's how some people do it," Kakashi drawled. That was exactly what he had done. Was the chunin really too dense to realize that?

"But you'd rather sit with me until someone comes to you," Iruka murmured, frowning as he thought about it. Wasn't that exactly why Mizuki had invited him along the few times they had come here together? By sitting with someone who was clearly just an acquaintance he let it be known that he was available while forcing anyone interested to come to him. Mizuki even had a term for it, calling him a 'wingman,' someone he could pretend to be interested in if undesirables came along, but easily dismissed if he were approached by someone he liked. According to Mizuki the wingman was also supposed to approach undesirables and get them out of the way, but Iruka had flatly refused to do that, which was probably why he had only been invited a few times. Since he hadn't quite fit into the role for a chunin, he seriously doubted he would do well for a jounin, either. No one would believe the man was interested in him even if Iruka had been a good actor, which he wasn't. Besides, he definitely wouldn't benefit from it. No one would bother to look at him twice with an attractive and apparently well-known jounin sitting across from him. Maybe that was just as well, though. Anyone experienced enough to pick him up would be too experienced for him. It would work out much better if he did the picking up. If he didn't have to worry about being approached, he could put all of his attention into observing how others picked people up.

"Am I likely to be approached if I'm sitting with you?" asked Iruka.

"No chance in hell," Kakashi said flatly. Whether the chunin was merely pretending to be oblivious or not, he had already staked his claim. Anyone foolish enough to approach the man would dearly regret it.

Iruka knew he should be disappointed in himself, but all he really felt was relief to be off the hook. He nodded, the decision made, and smiled at the jounin. "Alright, then. I don't mind being your wingman for the night."

Kakashi's eyebrow rose in disbelief. It was true, then. The man really was that oblivious. And wingman? He hadn't heard the term since his genin days. Even back then he had never needed someone to help him out in that way. Possibly because he'd been too young to care what sex was. Still, he'd found out on his own just fine and had never required assistance in securing a target, or in scaring the clinging uglies away from his target. To suggest that he actually needed help was insulting. But the chunin looked so eager to help him out in that way, that he decided to play along for the time being. It wasn't as if anyone would know, and he'd clear up the man's misconceptions about his skills before long anyway. "You don't mind?"

Responding to the teasing tone with a smile, Iruka shook his head. "No. I can't promise I'll be much help since I've only done it a few times, but who knows? It might actually be easier with a jounin. No one looking at us would mistake us for a couple."

"Why is that?" Kakashi prodded. He thought they made a striking couple. He had even received a grin of approval from Asuma when he had gone straight for the chunin's table earlier. They made a vivid pair of contrast, not all of it in his favor. His ego was secure enough for him to admit that if the chunin had all of the nervous energy of a skittish colt, then he was more akin to a plodding broodmare. His friends would have said he was thinking beyond his years, but since most of them were long dead he didn't have to listen. If he felt older than he actually was, it was only because he had lived more during his lifetime than most people did. His teacher understood that, and his was the only opinion Kakashi placed much stock in these days. Besides, the old plodders had something in their favor, too. They rarely missed a step, even when a rambunctious colt stumbled right into them.

"Are you fishing for compliments?" Iruka asked, only partly teasing. He laughed when he was given a serious nod. "I'm sure half the people in here would lavish you with compliments if you weren't forcing them to come to you. Hopefully once they see that I'm at ease with you, they'll realize you aren't as intimidating as you appear to be."

Kakashi frowned, not quite pouting in disappointment. "Is that your idea of a compliment? Admitting that you don't find me intimidating?"

"Well," Iruka said slowly, as if he were putting serious thought into the matter, "I suppose I could say you're a very attractive man, for someone wearing a mask. The dark blue goes well with your uniform, and the slanted forehead protector gives you a rakish appearance." He also had pretty eyes and soft-looking hair, but Iruka wasn't quite bold enough to point that out even as a joke. "And I never said I don't find you intimidating. If I were one of your admirers I'd be much too cowed to openly look at you, much less approach you. You give off an aura of cool confidence that forms an impenetrable shield between you and the rest of the world." It wasn't until he saw the man's eye widen that he realized how ridiculous he sounded. He dropped his eyes with a wince, grabbing his glass and muttering against the edge of it. "All I mean is that you're so far out of my league we shouldn't even be speaking to each other. Of course I find you intimidating." His own mouth was proving that quite nicely. He drained the glass without tasting a drop and reached for the bottle.

Kakashi slid the bottle away before the man could get himself sloshed. He thought they were reaching the root of the problem now. The chunin obviously didn't know how refreshing and attractive newcomers were in a place like this. Between the hungry old hounds and the rabid mutts, he would have been well and truly mauled the moment he stepped foot in the place if Asuma hadn't been in attendance. He waited until the man reluctantly looked up, and then asked quietly, "If you consider me out of your league, who would you consider in your league?" Those brown eyes flicked over his shoulder and he nearly shattered the bottle in his fist. He hurriedly set it down before he could give in to his sudden urge to launch it at the man still seated at the bar behind him. "Him?" Kakashi hissed. The world wasn't unjust enough to let such a thing happen. That the chunin would even suggest it made him want to rush him to the hospital to have his head examined, or maybe just his eyes. "Is there something wrong with your eyesight?"

Iruka stiffened at that, frowning his disapproval. "Appearances aren't everything. I'll have you know I'm not the least bit shallow."

"Or rational, apparently," Kakashi muttered.

"Do you know him?" If the man had a valid reason for his derision, then-

"I don't need to," Kakashi grimaced. "I can smell him from here." He was immensely relieved to see a flicker of unease pass over the man. At least he wasn't completely without standards.

Despite the reinfestation currently happening in his apartment, Iruka was fastidious by nature. As much as he prided himself on being nice and polite, he didn't think he would be able to carry on a conversation with someone who stunk that badly. On the other hand, he hadn't cleaned up before coming here, so he couldn't very well complain if that man hadn't either. "Maybe he just returned from a difficult mission. Isn't that what places like this are for? So no shinobi has to be alone when he needs human contact the most?"

"That's the general idea," Kakashi admitted. "But most people have the sense to pick someone up when they're at their best, not their worst." He needed to change the subject quickly. The chunin seemed determined to excuse the slob, and if he kept thinking about the two of them together he would get himself into serious trouble. Yet he couldn't quite get rid of his outrage. "Is that the sort of person you came here to meet? A reject that no one in his right mind would want?" He regretted the words the moment he spoke them. The chunin flinched, surprise and hurt written all over his face.

"If he's a reject, then so am I." He thought he had accepted that, but hearing it from someone other than Mizuki hurt even worse. He wasn't used to being insulted to his face by a complete stranger. This man didn't even know how bad he was and he was already condemning him. For a moment he seriously considered going up to the man at the bar and inviting him home with him. If he were publicly rejected it would serve him right for making so many assumptions about the man. For all he knew, the man had only come here for a drink and had a number of readily available partners should the need for one arise.

"I didn't mean that the way you took it," Kakashi sighed. "Please stop looking at him? I don't handle jealousy well."

Iruka's gaze snapped back to him, and he blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Blame it on my natural arrogance," Kakashi shrugged. "I can accept that you have trouble understanding that I'm trying to pick you up, since you've never been picked up before. But I can't accept this. The thought that you'd rather have sex with him than me hurts my brain. At this rate I'll have no choice but to eliminate the competition. It will be messy, and you will have to share the responsibility with me for driving me to it. Just imagine the paperwork."

Iruka's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you making fun of me?"

"I am very close to attacking a fellow shinobi in order to keep your attention on me," Kakashi stated soberly. "I might joke about that later, but at the moment it isn't the least bit amusing. If I weren't convinced you're serious, I would think you were the one making fun of me."

"You really were trying to pick me up?" Iruka supposed he should be surprised and flattered. Instead, all he felt was appalled. "I had no idea."

"I know," Kakashi muttered.

"I'm so sorry! When you came over I thought you were just being nice. If I had known you were considering me as a possible partner, I would never have let you waste so much of your time." He threw a quick look around the bar. "There are plenty of people here now. I'm sure you can still find someone you like. I'll help in any way I can."

Kakashi shook his head, not knowing if he were more exasperated or annoyed. The man was still insulting him by suggesting he needed help. "Are you trying to soften your rejection by hooking me up with someone?"

"It's not like that," Iruka cringed. He was making a mess of this. The last thing he needed was a jounin with a grudge against him. "I'm not rejecting you, I'm sparing you. I'm flattered that you were interested in me." Or he would be later, once he'd gotten out of this. "But I'm the bottom of the barrel, trust me. You can do much better."

"So, you're turning me down because I can do better?" Kakashi drawled. He had to give the man credit, he had never gotten that excuse before. The chunin smiled with relief and nodded happily. That decided it. He was definitely more exasperated than angry. "You don't have a very high opinion of yourself."

"Sure, I do," Iruka insisted. "I'm a very nice person and loyal to a fault. I'm also a dedicated and hardworking shinobi. But I'm also honest. I'm horrible in the bedroom and I'll be the first one to admit it. Believe me, you don't want anything to do with me." As relieved as he was to have that out in the open and the jounin no longer scowling at him, he hoped the man wasn't the gossiping sort. He would have to be careful to avoid those likely to talk when he tried picking someone up. If word got out about him even the so-called rejects might decide he wasn't worth their time.

"Is that all...?" Kakashi smiled, his exasperation giving way to amusement. "I don't mind if you lack experience." He had already assumed the man did from his inability to recognize when he was being picked up.

"No," Iruka blurted. He hadn't considered that the man might not believe him. Why would anyone bother to lie about a thing like that? "I have experience. I've had plenty of experience. I'm just no good at it."

Kakashi dismissed that claim immediately. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't like it," he pointed out calmly.

Iruka dropped his eyes, suddenly very uncomfortable. This conversation was going from bad to worse. Was he going to have to repeat this conversation each time he turned someone down? Not that he expected to be picked up often, of course. But the prospect of having to explain himself repeatedly was daunting. "I never said I didn't like it..." That was the problem. He liked what he liked far too much, and what he didn't like he simply refused to do.

"Then let me decide if you're good enough for me or not." Tossing enough money on the table to cover the chunin's beer and leave a reasonable tip, Kakashi took the bottle and rose. He leaned close and murmured into the man's ear. "Meet me in the restroom."

Iruka's mouth dropped open. By the time he recovered enough to look, the man was gone. For a minute he was frozen in shock and nervousness, then the anger set in. The restroom? The man expected him to have sex in a public restroom? The jounin had obviously pegged him as an easy lay if he thought he were desperate enough to let himself be fucked in a toilet. His face flushed and he gnashed his teeth in absolute fury. He was tempted to go in there and yell at the man, but that would only draw more attention to himself. Already he felt as if everyone in the bar had heard what the man had said and were all secretly laughing at him. He emptied his glass because unlike the beer the liquor was too nice to waste. He glared resentfully at the change on the table. He would rather have had the rest of his bottle. But even in tipping, the blasted jounin had shown him up by leaving more than he would have.

He slowed as he neared the chunin at the bar, hating the fact that the jounin had been right about him. The smell nearly made his eyes water. The man looked up and caught his wrist as he eased past. It was all Iruka could do not to be rude and wrinkle his nose.

"Hey," the man whispered, tugging him closer. "I'll fuck you in the alley if you promise not to scream."

Iruka's mind shut down. He had no idea what sort of expression was on his face, but the man suddenly released him, recoiling and leaning as far away as he could without tumbling off his barstool.

"Nevermind," the man mumbled. "Take it easy! It was just an offer..."

Iruka stalked blindly out of the bar. He walked a few feet in the fresh night air before halting in his tracks. His anger crumbled, leaving frustration and self-pity in its wake. He had known he would make a fool of himself, but he hadn't expected this. He didn't want to go home knowing Mizuki had been right about everything. He would never be able to go into that bar again, and if he went home with that realization at the top of his mind he would break down and cry. Knowing his luck, Mizuki would show up and catch him crying, and he would fall right back into the same routine he wanted so badly to break out of. He couldn't go home like this. He sent a harried look at the moon. It wasn't that late. The mission office would still be open. If he got a long mission he'd be camping in the forest tonight, too busy staying on guard to give in to his emotions. Back to back missions were another of Mizuki's predictions, but at least it would be keep him from backsliding and having sex with him again.

With his mind made up, Iruka took two steps and abruptly lost track of the ground. It wasn't until he fell back against a solid wall that he realized he hadn't stumbled over his own feet. He had been swept off his feet and relocated. His panicked mind identified his new location as a dark alley. That settled it. He was just preparing himself to beat the filthy man up - and scream - when a masked face leaned in close to his. Not the alley bastard. The toilet bastard. Even better! His mind promptly switched gears from frightened and angry to plain old angry. "You!" Iruka hissed. "How dare you show your - mask - around me? I don't care if you're the best jounin Konoha has ever had, no one-"

"Why were you leaving without me?" asked Kakashi. He was curious about the man's sudden anger as well, but that could wait.

"Why?" Iruka blurted. "That's my question! Why a toilet? What the hell did I do to make you think I'm the sort of person who has sex in a public toilet? I never even agreed to have sex with you in the first place and you have the nerve to ask me to meet you in the toilet and then ask why I didn't do it? Why? Why me? I never did anything to you..." He realized with horror that he had tears in his eyes and for a brief moment he wondered if Mizuki had put the man up to this. Suddenly he would rather believe his best friend had intentionally humiliated him than to think there was something about him that screamed 'desperate enough to have sex in alleys and toilets.' The jounin had the gall to hug him and naturally the bastard was taller than he had looked sitting down. He bristled, struggling to get a hand free so he could wipe his eyes. "I'm not having sex with you in an alley, either, so if you even suggest it, I swear-"

"Your place or mine?"

"What? No! I didn't mean-"

"Mine, then," Kakashi decided. His hands came together behind the chunin's back, and he performed a quick teleportation. A moment later he released the man in his entryway. The chunin twitched, looking two seconds shy of attacking him or bolting out the door. Kakashi raised a hand. "Be still while I undo some traps." Despite his anger, the man was still thinking rationally enough to heed that warning. "You seem to have a habit of jumping to conclusions," Kakashi commented, as he went to work on the trap that bordered the hallway. "When shinobi get together at that bar they rarely leave together by the front door. Jounin never do. Those inside who saw you going into the restroom one after the other know you're possibly leaving together, but they have no real proof of it. If you were to step outside, it would be an entirely different matter. It's dangerous to be too open about who you're seeing."

"Then you weren't..."

"Asking for sex in the toilet?" Kakashi sent an amused look over his shoulder. "No. Not that I'm biased against sex in the bathroom. I just prefer it in the shower or tub. Both of mine happen to be more than large enough for the task." He was pleased to see the chunin blush, though he still looked upset enough to bolt if given half a chance to do so. He went to him and put an arm around his shoulders. The man leaned away slightly, visibly uncomfortable, but he made no more effort to get away from the contact than he had in his arms earlier. "Are you still curious why I singled you out?"

Iruka was, but he would survive without knowing. "I just want to leave. Will your door attack me if I go near it?"

"No, but if we don't have sex I'd rather you not know where I live. I mean no offense by that," especially since he had every intention of having sex with him. "I'm a private person, that's all."

"Oh," Iruka blinked. "Of course, I understand. I'll teleport back to my place." He hadn't practiced that as much as Mizuki had, but he was sure he could make it back to his apartment from anywhere in the village. He moved his hands together and frowned when one of them was caught and raised to cloth-masked lips. "Why are you being so stubborn about this? You can't be that hard up for sex."

Kakashi shook his head in exasperation. "Have you even noticed that I wear a mask?"

"Of course," Iruka scoffed. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I never take it off in front of anyone," Kakashi informed him. "Ever."

"Oh," Iruka sighed. The man must have been horribly disfigured to wear a mask at all times. He wouldn't have thought he had a self-conscious bone in his body. "That must be disappointing to your partners."

"Especially the ones who are only sleeping with me in order to see my face."

"People do that? That's horrible!" He curled his fingers tightly around the hand holding his own, trying to offer his sympathies. "Anyone who would violate your privacy that way isn't worth your time." No wonder the man didn't want him to know where he lived. He probably thought he was playing hard to get in order to con his mask off somehow. "Have you tried blindfolding your partner? Or doing it from behind?"

"That's what I usually do," Kakashi admitted. It was difficult not to smile. He had known the sympathy card would work wonders. The way the chunin had stood up for that slob at the bar told him he was quick to defend a perceived underdog. "Unfortunately, I can't trust anyone not to peek."

"I would never peek," Iruka said stoutly.

"Is that a promise?"

"Of course!" Iruka spotted a glint in the man's eye that he suspected was a sly smile. He abruptly backed up, releasing his hand. "No! Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not offering to have sex with you. I just meant that if I did, I wouldn't dream of peeking. And if I wouldn't, I'm sure you can find others who wouldn't, either."

"Why are you being so stubborn about this?" Kakashi drawled, tossing the man's words back at him. "You can't be that bad at sex. In fact, I suspect you've only had sex with a few people in your life, and that the only reason you think you're bad is because one of them told you that you were. Probably out of spite. It's foolish to rate yourself according to one person's opinion, especially when it comes to something as subjective as sex."

"You don't understand," Iruka murmured, dropping his eyes. It wasn't as if he hadn't considered that himself. There were plenty of things he enjoyed that Mizuki disliked. He didn't consider himself bad at those things just because Mizuki didn't like them, no more than he considered Mizuki bad for enjoying things he personally disliked. What made him so bad were the basics that were simply beyond him. He was tired of trying and failing to do things others took for granted. He folded his arms over his chest and scowled at them. This was his night for humiliation, so there was no point holding back now. "I come too fast to satisfy a partner."

"Premature-"

"Yes," Iruka cut him off. "I know the term for it, thank you."

"That isn't really a problem if you bottom," Kakashi pointed out.

"Oh, yes it is," Iruka ground out. The man was rubbing his shoulder, and he was disgusted with himself for enjoying it too much to step away. At this rate he'd probably let himself be hugged again, too. "I come the moment it starts, and by the time it's over I'm wishing we could go again. I have no self control whatsoever." The arm disappeared from his shoulders. He stiffened his back to keep from slumping at the loss. At least he could go home now. And if Mizuki showed up for an 'I told you so,' he'd toss a few shuriken at his head. That was usually enough to deter him.

Kakashi caught the man's wrists, pulling them apart before he could form the first seal for the teleportation jutsu. Hurt and reproachful brown eyes flashed up at him, and he beamed back. "There's no problem here."

"What?"

"As I suspected, you have nothing to worry about. All you need is someone with stamina or a quick recovery time." His smirk was both lascivious and smug. "I happen to have both. We're perfect for each other."

"I highly doubt that," Iruka muttered. He was tugged a few feet down the hall before he managed to dig his heels in. "Wait! There's more..." Inside he cringed at the thought of saying another word. Did he have to confess every flaw he had in order to deter the man? If so, would that ultimately be more or less humiliating than keeping his mouth shut?

"We all have our quirks." Kakashi went back to him and slipped his right arm around his shoulders again, keeping a close but friendly hold on his left wrist. With a little coaxing, he had him in motion again. "If you can overlook my mask, I'm sure I can overlook any quirks you might have."

"They're not quirks, they're flaws," Iruka said miserably.

Kakashi sighed. His conscience would never leave him alone if he took him into the bedroom sounding and looking like that. He pulled the man around and nudged his chin up. "Close your eyes."

"Why?" Iruka asked warily.

"Because I'm going to kiss you and you promised not to peek."

Iruka's eyes widened as he found himself both thrilled and terrified at the prospect. He had assumed there would be no kissing, what with the mask and all. Mizuki considered kissing as revolting as touching another man's cum, so they had never done it. "I might have lied about not looking," he blurted.

"I'm hoping you didn't," Kakashi said as he reached up to catch hold of the edge of his mask. He spotted guilt in those expressive eyes before they swept shut.

"I didn't lie," Iruka admitted. "I would never violate your privacy by peeking. I just don't think it's a good idea for us to kiss. I'd like to, but I've never done it before so I'm bound to be awful at it. Besides that, I haven't brushed my teeth since this morning. I spent the entire day traveling, on my way back from a mission, and I didn't take the time to clean up before going to the bar. My breath is probably awful, so-"

"I would have noticed if it were," Kakashi assured him. "I have a very sensitive nose." The poor man looked as if he were bracing himself for a blow. Kakashi was impressed that he could keep his eyes closed when he was that nervous.

"Still, you-"

"Kakashi."

"Is that what you want me to call you...?"

"That's my name," Kakashi smirked. He leaned forward to nibble on the man's earlobe, sending a delightful shiver down his spine that he could feel even through their vests. He wondered if it was just the nervousness that made him so sensitive.

"Oh," Iruka sighed. He sincerely hoped his ear was clean. "I, uh, didn't realize people exchanged names in this situation." They weren't regular partners, so this was more of a one-night stand than anything. "I'm Um-" He barely caught himself in time. First names might be okay, but not last names. He blamed the jounin, Kakashi, for his distraction. The man was sucking lightly on the spot right below his ear and he couldn't understand how something so simple could feel so good. "Iruka," he blurted. "My name is Iruka."

"It suits you."

Iruka smiled weakly. "I get that a lo-" A mouth muffled him, the underside of the man's tongue sliding over his, warm and smooth and tasting faintly of the liquor he'd been drinking. Maybe he had finished off the bottle while waiting for him in the restroom of the bar. Iruka held himself as still as possible, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He could already tell he was going to enjoy being kissed very much. It was easily as decadent as oral sex. Or maybe it was just having to keep his eyes closed that made him feel so vulnerable submitting to another man's mouth. The tongue retreated, caressing his lips before disappearing completely.

Kakashi frowned when Iruka's tongue flicked out to lick his own lips. The man hadn't moved once during the entire kiss, and the back his arm was curled over was utterly rigid. Yet he looked terribly disappointed that he had stopped kissing him. He slipped his other arm around him, rubbing lightly at the back of his neck. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Iruka repeated. It only took a minute for him to understand. He ducked his head in total frustration. He should have known. Kakashi wouldn't have stopped if he'd been enjoying himself. At least this time it wasn't his fault. "I warned you that I had never kissed before," he muttered.

"You still haven't," Kakashi pointed out, "since you didn't kiss me back." The man's head snapped up so fast he had to lean his own back to keep from being knocked in the chin. He was surprised to find that Iruka's eyes were still closed, because he had a strong feeling he was being glared at.

"Was I supposed to?" Iruka demanded. He scowled as well as he could with his eyes closed. "You didn't tell me that. You only said you were going to kiss me. You didn't say anything about me kissing you."

"I apologize for not being more clear," Kakashi grinned. The chunin looked downright adorable with his eyes closed and his brows furrowed beneath his forehead protector. "Do you want to kiss me back?"

"Of course," Iruka huffed. "I'm not promising to be good at it, though." Secretly he hoped he would be. It seemed very similar to oral sex, and even Mizuki had admitted he was good at that.

"Will you promise to relax a little?" Kakashi pulled him closer, running a hand along his back. "You were so tense I worried that you didn't like it at all."

"I did. I just didn't think I was supposed to move. I always tense up when I'm trying to be still."

"Don't try, then. Just do what comes naturally."

Iruka's lips twitched. "You'll regret saying that. I can be very clingy."

"Good."

Iruka smiled, knowing he'd change his mind once they were naked and sweaty and flushed. For now he stretched out, trying to maximize the contact as much as possible. Their vests pressed together awkwardly, though he could feel that Kakashi's was nearly empty. He slipped his arms around his waist and eased them up until his fingers brushed the hair at the back of his neck. His hair was every bit as soft as it had looked, rather like down or cat fur, only much thicker. Kakashi stepped forward, putting a leg between his, and Iruka leaned into the contact. That was much better than standing toe to toe. He didn't even mind the way the man's kunai pack dug into his inner thigh. A mouth eased over his, and he pushed into the kiss, not wanting any doubts this time about how much he enjoyed it. The man's tongue swept into his mouth and he welcomed it, feeling it out with firm sweeps of his own. Kakashi let out a sharp breath and tensed in his arms. Had he come on too strongly? He eased up, sucking lightly and trying to come off as more coaxing than controlling. He felt a muted shudder work its way through the man's body, his hips pushing hard into his own. He thought he was just getting the hang of it when the mouth was suddenly gone.

"You said you had never kissed," Kakashi bit out. The chunin tilted his head slightly, and he was sure that if his eyes had been open they would have radiated innocent confusion. He was stunned. If the man had lied about this, what else had he lied about? He prided himself in his ability to read people. For him to be fooled so badly by a mere chunin was ridiculous.

"I never have," Iruka admitted. The man thought he was good, too good for it to be his first time. A slow smile started over his lips, widening into a cocky grin. "I have done other things with my mouth, though. I never said I was bad at everything..."

Kakashi licked his lips. "You mean...?"

"Mh," Iruka smiled, his hand rising to tug on the man's thick hair. "I'll show you later. I want to kiss you some more first while your mask is still off. I'll need to see when I go down on you."

Too bemused and eager to remain suspicious for long, Kakashi quickly gave in. He understood the man's technique now and was able to simply enjoy it without being alarmed. He was confused, though. If Iruka was that good with his mouth, the rest didn't even matter, especially for relationships of convenience. Most of his partners flatly refused to perform oral, though they were always quick to ask for it and not just in the hopes of seeing his face. The only ones he could count on for an even give and take were his Anbu partners, who were too focused on venting and finding quick relief to care what his face looked like. He knew plenty of shinobi who would gladly overlook any flaws in their partners for the promise of oral. It was simple economics. All men wanted to get it and few were willing to give it. Iruka had a huge mark in his favor and he didn't even realize it. Kakashi supposed he would have to tell him eventually. Not now, though. He wasn't quite ready to think about someone else touching him.

Iruka was melting. He had intended to be bold, relishing in the fact that he was actually good at this. But Kakashi responded to him in a way that had him squirming and shivering against him. The man seemed determined to coax him into his own mouth, and the temptation was almost too strong to resist. Already his pants felt far too tight. Strong hands gripped his ass, grinding their hips together, and he shuddered, clutching the back of Kakashi's vest. He knew there would be no more kissing once he'd gone down on him, but if he came now he might not even get that. With reluctance he forced himself to pull away from the kiss. He had only come in his pants once in his entire life and never intended to do so again. Kakashi's lips brushed over his cheek, his tongue flicking out to lap the underside of his jaw, and he couldn't help tilting his head for just a little more.

"Sorry," Iruka murmured. He was having trouble catching his breath. "I, uh, need to borrow your bathroom."

Kakashi nipped at the thin stretch of skin visible over his high collar, enjoying the shiver this evoked. "What for...?"

Iruka ducked his head, as much to protect his sensitive skin from that teasing mouth as to hide his face. He gave a shaky self-depreciating laugh. "To jerk off before I have an accident."

So he hadn't been exaggerating about that. Kakashi reluctantly released the man's ass, consoling himself with the knowledge that he'd be touching it again shortly, without the baggy pants to obstruct his feel. Iruka immediately stepped back, though he kept a hand on Kakashi's vest to maintain contact with him. For a moment, Kakashi considered guiding him blindly into the bedroom, but Iruka had kept his eyes closed the entire time, making no attempt to peek, and he didn't want to abuse his good nature. Well, he did want to abuse it a little, just to see how far the man's nice streak really extended, but that could wait. He pulled his mask into place and reached down to take the hand from his vest. "You can open your eyes now. Thank you for keeping them closed."

"I didn't mind," Iruka admitted, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light in the hall. "The kissing was definitely worth it." He was only sorry he hadn't lasted longer. He shifted, trying to ease the pressure in his crotch. He sent a wincing look at Kakashi. "I still need to borrow your bathroom, though."

"It's through the bedroom." Kakashi opened the door and led him in. He bypassed the overhead light to flick on the lamp instead. "The bathroom is there," he said, waving at the darkened doorway. "Would you like to take a shower?"

"Yes, please," Iruka said gratefully. "I really should clean up a little. I wasn't planning to go home with anyone tonight. Will you mind waiting? I won't be long."

Since Kakashi had no intention of waiting, he didn't bother responding to that. He stepped to him and placed a light hand on his hip. "How bad is it?"

Iruka flushed, dropping his eyes. "Um..."

"Will you be able to hold out long enough for me to undress you?"

"What?" Did the man think he was incapacitated or something? He shook his head with a befuddled grin. "I'm not that far gone. I've been undressing myself for years now. I assure you, I don't require assistance."

"Ah," Kakashi nodded. "But you see, I've been looking forward to unwrapping your package since I first noticed it in the mission room earlier."

Iruka frowned suspiciously as the man began removing his vest. "Is that a line?"

"Just the truth. Are you finally curious why I singled you out?" He set the vest on the chest near his closet, noting that it was fully packed and only modestly scuffed. Either the man hadn't been a chunin for long or he had avoided the sort of missions that caused wear and tear. Kakashi suspected it was the former.

"I suppose," said Iruka. It might help distract him from his lingering problem. He rolled his shoulders, getting some of the kinks out. He had finally gotten used to the chunin vest, only really noticing how heavy it was when the weight came off. That was usually a relief, but in this case it was literally disarming. Kakashi returned and crouched right in front of him. He shied away until he realized the man was going for the pack strapped to his thigh. "This is incredibly awkward," Iruka blurted. He bit his lip and averted his eyes, wishing the room were a little darker.

"You're smaller than I thought."

"What!"

Kakashi smirked, not minding the livid promise of pain on his startled face. "Without the bulky vest," he explained. "Your clothes are a bit large on you as well. Are you hoping to grow into them?"

"Eventually," Iruka muttered, looking away again. He had been sure the man was referring to the size of his bulge, considering he was at eye level with it. He should have been relieved Kakashi was avoiding the obvious, but he wasn't. His lack of muscles was another of his sore spots. The long distance missions were building up his legs, but it would take serious training to build upper body strength. He didn't have time for that right now. He would get to it eventually, though, which was why he had ordered his uniforms a few sizes larger than he currently was. He liked to plan ahead.

"When I first saw you in the mission room, you looked solid, a little on the chunky side." He looked up in time to enjoy the insulted expression on Iruka's face. "The facial scar was cute, but to be honest I was already forgetting you by the time you walked past. Then I saw your ass." The chunin's mouth dropped open, and it was all he could do not to laugh. He tugged on the strap holding the weapon pouch in place. "That was when I decided I had to touch it. The only question was how to go about it. I considered using the crowd to excuse a discrete passby fondle, but there were a few sharp-eyed individuals who would have spotted me. Imagine my surprise when fate, or rather a rude shinobi, knocked the object of my fixation right into my lap. I went from wanting a quick grope to getting a hard grind. Naturally I had no choice but to follow you."

The jounin was looking up at him with such a serious expression that Iruka couldn't maintain his outrage at the ridiculous yarn. He cracked, first snorting and then laughing outright. "I barely touched you. I certainly didn't do any grinding. I admit, though, when I realized who you were I did wonder if you had followed me to get a proper apology for the way I bumped into you. I'd believe that before I'd believe you were following the lure of my ass."

"Then you aren't giving your ass enough credit," Kakashi stated. He set the pack onto the chunin's vest and quickly removed his own. He glanced over his shoulder when he came to his shirt. "Would you mind closing your eyes for a minute? This mask is built into the shirt. I'm going to change into another one."

"Sure," Iruka said quickly. He closed his eyes and fidgeted with the long sleeves of his shirt. Kakashi could have waited until he was in the shower to undress. As funny as Kakashi's joking had been, all of this talk about his ass had him uncomfortable. Mizuki called it a desk ninja ass, flat on the bottom and round on the sides, insisting it was perfect for him because a desk ninja was exactly what he wanted to be. Iruka knew his ass couldn't be that bad since the only extended periods of time he had ever spent at a desk had been as a pregenin in the Academy. Besides, Mizuki didn't even have an ass, so he had no business judging others. Unfortunately telling himself that and believing it were two very different things. He wondered if Kakashi had even looked at his ass before deciding to use it as the literal butt of his joke. He had touched it earlier, Iruka recalled suddenly, his face heating up. The man had been gripping it hard enough to have a good idea how he was shaped.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Iruka jumped, throwing a hand over his eyes when he couldn't stop them from flashing open. He caught a glimpse of pale skin and black. His hand was pulled away from his eyes, and he grimaced. "I didn't see anything! I didn't mean to look, but you startled me."

"It's okay to look," Kakashi smiled. He rather liked how conscientious the man was. "I'm sorry for startling you."

Iruka opened his eyes warily and was immensely relieved to find the darkness he had spotted was just a black mask. The pale skin had been his chest. Iruka's eyes widened. Now that was how a shinobi was supposed to look. Not enough muscles to be bulky, not thin enough to be weak. His shoulders weren't as broad as he had first assumed, but he had prominent collarbones. He curled the fingers of his hands so he wouldn't give in to the urge to reach up and trace one of them. Instead, his eyes followed his arm up to the hand holding his own. Kakashi's wrist was more slender than his, but his fingers were longer. He was probably dextrous with weapons.

With a sigh, Iruka forced himself to stop staring. Kakashi was still wearing his slanted forehead protector, but Iruka could tell he was raising an eyebrow. He smiled sheepishly. "You're perfect," he explained, "and I'm envious. You must work very hard."

"I've been an active shinobi for quite some time," Kakashi admitted. One of his more outspoken comrades would have openly scoffed at the idea of him being perfect, however. "How long have you been a chunin?"

"Almost three months," Iruka said proudly. A second later he frowned. Maybe he should have said 'only' and sounded a bit more abashed. At his age, three months as a chunin was nothing to brag about. Still, after all the trouble he'd gone through trying to pass the exam, he was damned proud of his rank. "I want to work at the Academy," he admitted. "As soon as I've saved up enough to get me through the temp period, I'm going to apply there."

Kakashi's eyebrow rose, and he had to choose his words carefully so as not to hurt the man's feelings. "I thought most chunin viewed being assigned to the academy as a punishment." To his relief, the chunin grinned easily.

"They do. I'm the only one I know who actually wants to work there. My friends think I'm crazy, but it's what I want."

"Well," Kakashi shrugged, "to each their own, I suppose. It's not a position I would want."

Iruka laughed quickly. "No, I can't quite see you having to deal with little monsters all day long."

Kakashi thought of the little blonde monster he was regularly assigned to guard and decided now was a good time to change the subject. "I take it your problem has subsided for the moment?" he asked, before plucking the man's forehead protector off and placing it with the rest of his things.

Iruka's eyes widened in surprise as he realized his problem had in fact subsided. It would undoubtedly come back just as quickly, but this gave him a little leeway. He wondered if Kakashi would be interested in kissing some more before he took his shower. He lifted his arms when the man returned and pulled his shirt over his head. He felt very foolish being undressed this way. It didn't help when Kakashi stopped and looked him over, as if repaying him for having stared a minute ago. That really wasn't fair. Iruka had only been admiring him. Surely the jounin was used to that. He bore the silent perusal for as long as he could, then he folded his arms over his chest.

"Kakashi." It sounded wrong to address him so informally, but he suspected it would sound even stranger to address him as 'san' when they were having sex later. The man's eyes flicked up, and Iruka frowned soberly at him. "I already know, and I don't want to hear it."

Kakashi had no idea what he was talking about. He looked upset, though, so he supposed he should ask. "What is it you don't want to hear? That you're a tad thin and should eat more? Or that I'd like to tongue-fuck your navel until you come in your pants?" The chunin's face turned bright red and he squawked, looking utterly scandalized. Kakashi chuckled and brushed the back of his hand over the man's heated cheek. "Relax, Iruka. You're far too serious." His gaze rose to the tail of thick dark hair held so tightly on the back of his head. "May I take your hair down?"

"I-" Iruka gaped, shaking his head. He didn't know whether he wanted to cover his belly or slap the outrageous man across that masked face of his. Whatever he might have wanted, he knew he wouldn't do either. "I don't care," he muttered, his shoulders slumping. "I'll have to pull it back again later, though. It gets in my face."

Kakashi pulled the hair tie off, watching as the thick mass fell apart, flopping in unruly tufts around the disgruntled chunin's head. The resentful glower Iruka sent him completed the picture quite nicely. He smirked and slipped the tie into his pocket, determined to misplace it later. "Take your sandals off and I'll start the shower."

Iruka's eyes darted down to the man's bare feet as he padded from the room. Well, there was one part of him that wasn't much to look at. He shook his head at that spitefully petty thought and quickly removed his sandals. His hair fell in his face and he brushed it back irritably. At least Kakashi hadn't insisted on undressing him completely. He entered the nearby bathroom and stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened in surprise and envy as he caught sight of the sunken tub. "This isn't a bathroom," he muttered to himself, "it's a private bathhouse."

"I'm glad you like it," Kakashi called. "Join me."

For the first time, Iruka noticed the familiar pair of pants and forehead protector sitting on the shelf beside the door. He stared at them for a moment before looking warily to his right. Kakashi was looking out around the edge of the shower curtain. His left eye was closed, a prominent scar running straight down from his eyebrow before disappearing beneath his damp mask. His hair was much darker now that it was wet, and it dipped provocatively into his face. The sight of him soaking wet was undoubtedly the sexiest thing Iruka had ever seen. His problem from earlier was suddenly back with a vengeance. "I'll wait till you're done," he choked out, whirling for the door.

"Don't," Kakashi said sharply. The chunin froze. "It's just a shower, Iruka. I won't even touch you if you don't want me to. Well," he paused, his infamously twisted brand of honesty getting the better of him, "maybe an accidental brush or two. I'm only human, and you know how I feel about your ass..." He saw Iruka's shoulders shake slightly and knew he had him.

"You have to stop saying things like that," Iruka huffed, trying not to laugh out loud. He turned with a weak smile. "I've never had sex in a shower before, and I don't know if I want to. I'll join you, but I'm not promising anything more than that." He ducked his head, another silent laugh bubbling through him. "And if I fall and break something, you'll have to cover my medical bills."

"As if I'd let you fall," Kakashi scoffed. "Give me a little more credit than that. I am a jounin, after all." He pulled his head back into the shower so Iruka wouldn't spot his grin.

He was a very strange jounin, Iruka thought to himself as he quickly finished undressing. Part of him still wanted to run away. If he had thought dry and clothed Kakashi was out of his league, wet and naked Kakashi was on a completely different continent. He was insane to even imagine having sex with this man. But Kakashi wanted him, and he'd be a fool to pass up a chance like this. He'd just have to do his best not to disappoint him too badly. He sighed moodily. This was exactly the sort of pressure he had hoped to avoid. He set his clothes on the shelf next to Kakashi's and then glared down at the over-eager erection poking up at him. That part of him was as incorrigible as the insane jounin currently humming on the other side of the shower curtain. Maybe the two of them would get along just fine. "I'm losing it," Iruka whispered worriedly.

"Hm?"

"Nothing," Iruka blurted. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and willed himself invisible. Then he entered the shower. The moment Kakashi saw him, his gaze dropped, and Iruka knew his mental invisibility jutsu had failed. It usually did. He slipped past him and took the bottle of scentless shampoo off the rack in the corner. He quickly slicked up his hair, hoping Kakashi wouldn't comment. He really should have known better.

"Am I responsible for that?" Kakashi asked hopefully, his eye rounding in appreciation. The chunin was quite well endowed. It was nearly enough to distract him from that tasty ass of his.

"No," Iruka drawled, "I'm pretty sure I was born with it." Out of the corner of his eye he saw the jounin tilting his head for a better look. His face flamed furiously. "Please stop staring?"

"You could do a little staring of your own," Kakashi offered.

Iruka didn't hesitate to do just that. He was surprised to find that Kakashi's wasn't much bigger than his, and just as hard. But whereas his own looked ridiculous, Kakashi's was horribly sexy. Maybe that was because he was proud of his, while Iruka just wished his would go away. He knew he would come the moment he touched it, and then it would be limp and useless for the next half hour or more. He would still enjoy sex, but it would be much less humiliating if he could actually come during it instead of before and after.

Without so much as a glance at Kakashi's face, Iruka turned away and quickly rinsed the shampoo from his hair. He didn't realize the man had approached him until he felt a hand curl around his cock. He flinched and let out something akin to a yipe. "What the hell are you doing?" He shot a startled look at Kakashi, who made an abysmal attempt to appear innocent.

"It looked like it was in pain," Kakashi defended himself. "I only wanted to soothe it."

"You-" The fingers stroked him gently, and he shuddered despite himself. "You're not as funny as you think you are," he huffed lamely.

"Yes, I am," Kakashi smiled, stroking him a bit harder. "Do you mind?"

Did he mind not having to jerk himself off? That question wasn't even worth dignifying with a response. He caught a hand in Kakashi's hair and pulled him closer against his side. "I want to kiss you," he said, closing his eyes. "Do you mind?"

"I suppose if you can put up with my witty nature, I can put up with your oral fixation," Kakashi drawled, as if he wasn't just as eager to kiss again as Iruka was.

"That's better than being fixated on a person's ass."

"I still say you're not giving your ass enough credit."

"Kakashi," Iruka groaned, "if you're not going to kiss me, then-"

Kakashi plundered his mouth before he could work himself into a tiff. He enjoyed teasing the chunin far too much. If he weren't careful, he might push him too far. He was more worried about upsetting him and hurting his feelings than he was about angering him, though. Iruka was complicated and he hadn't quite figured him out yet. He eased his grasp on the man's cock, rubbing and curling around it lightly. Still, Iruka came as quickly as he had warned he would. He immediately pulled him closer, his hand slipping down to fondle his sack. Iruka groaned into his mouth and shivered against him, the orgasm having left him more than a little sensitive. For a moment he simply clung to him, then he turned his face away.

"You don't have to do that," Iruka said shakily.

Kakashi nipped at his neck, sucking lightly until Iruka gave in to his touch. He continued to caress him as he kissed his way up the side of his neck. He brushed the damp hair away from his ear so he could murmur into it. "Do you like it?"

"I'm not actually sure," Iruka admitted. "I like being touched, but that's...different."

Leaving off the massage, Kakashi slipped his hands around to cup his ass. Iruka squirmed, but there was no doubt that he liked that. Kakashi was glad because he liked it a lot himself. His ass was just the way he liked them, soft enough to be pleasing to the touch but firm enough to take a pounding. It didn't hurt that his ass was apparently sensitive as well. Kakashi was starting to wonder if there was any part of him that wasn't sensitive. Iruka shook his head, his damp hair sliding over his shoulder.

"Were you serious about liking that?" Iruka hadn't believed it before, but Kakashi certainly seemed to enjoy touching it.

"Your ass, you mean? Of course." He curled one of his hands, rubbing softly along the cleft. "I'd like to touch you a little deeper, if you don't mind."

"What?" A finger rubbed over his opening, and Iruka was so horrified he barely kept his eyes closed. "No!"

"There's nothing to worry about," Kakashi assured him. "I'll be gentle."

"That's not the problem!" Iruka shoved him away, reaching out blindly for a wall that wasn't there. He probably would have fallen if Kakashi hadn't caught him. He clutched the man's arms, both to keep himself steady and to ensure that neither of his hands were within reach of his ass. He pushed one of the arms toward Kakashi. "Put your mask back on."

"It's on," Kakashi said quietly, once he'd pulled it into place.

Iruka backed away, putting as much distance between them as the shower allowed. He had to wipe water and hair out of his eyes before he could get a good look at Kakashi. Guilt promptly set in. Kakashi hadn't taken a step toward him, and he looked surprised, maybe even a bit disturbed by his reaction. Iruka cringed, not knowing how to explain without sounding like an idiot. "I'm sorry. I really do like anal sex, and you can have that with me if you still want to, once I've cleaned up a little. But not with your fingers, okay? It's too...unsanitary." Disgusting was the word he wanted to use, but he couldn't say that, not when Kakashi had wanted to do it. He didn't even like having to touch his own ass when cleaning himself up before and after sex. He certainly didn't want anyone else to get their hands dirty on his account.

"Iruka, come here." Kakashi reached out a hand and was relieved when Iruka didn't hesitate to take it. For a second there he had looked as if he thought he was about to be attacked. Someone was responsible for that, but he doubted it had anything to do with him. "Have you ever been fingered?" he asked, once they were as close as they could get without touching. He could tell from the man's face that he hadn't. "Most people like it."

"Not me," Iruka grimaced. "I won't ever try that."

"Fair enough," said Kakashi. "One more question and then I'll let you finish your shower alone. Did you think I was going to tackle you and do it whether you liked it or not?"

"Not really," Iruka said sheepishly. "You don't strike me as that sort of person." Suddenly he could imagine the conversation with the medic, though. 'I wouldn't let him put his fingers in my ass, so he tackled me in the shower. Yes, I know that's hard to believe, but it's the truth. Well, I tried to stop him but he's a jounin. Are you sure he'll be okay?' He was sure medics saw their fair share of sex-related mishaps, but the thought of being involved in one himself was more than a little ridiculous. The thought of Kakashi being involved in one was even more so. He cracked a grin at Kakashi. "No, I really can't see you being that desperate." Or clumsy, for that matter.

"Good," Kakashi nodded. He was very curious about the chunin's sudden amusement, but it was a marked improvement over having him cringing in the corner of his shower stall. "For the record, tackling is not my style. I'm far more likely to cajole, coax, plead, and tease you into letting me have my way. I might resort to blackmail, manipulation, and trickery if you were particularly stubborn about it, but I would never tackle even as a last resort. Especially without so much as a pair of boxers to keep my parts from flopping around. I do have my pride."

Iruka laughed, automatically glancing down. The man's erection wasn't as prominent as it had been, but it was still there. At least he hadn't ruined everything. He closed the space between them and took the man's cock gently in his hand. "I am sorry for being stubborn. I'll make it up to you. Just give me a few minutes, okay?"

Kakashi left the stall, lingering in the bathroom as he dried off and donned a dry mask. He still wouldn't put it past him to change his mind and bolt, so he wasn't about to leave him alone. He was tempted to watch him through the curtain since the water pressure was too high to hear what he was doing. He had a good idea, though. In retrospect he'd been very inconsiderate. The chunin probably would have refused even if he had been used to being prepped by his partner. Having just returned from a mission, he wouldn't have had time to clean himself out. Kakashi had participated in many hurried bouts of messy post-mission sex, so he hadn't thought anything of it. He should have guessed Iruka wouldn't be as comfortable with the idea.

"Kakashi...?"

He turned to find a messy brown head peeking out at him. "What is it?"

"You don't have any knobs," Iruka frowned in confusion. "How do you turn the water off?"

"They're out here." He turned off the shower and handed him a towel to wrap around himself. He took his own and went to work on that messy brown hair.

Iruka felt foolish having another man dry his hair for him. It felt nice, though. "I've never seen a shower like that before," he admitted. "I didn't even notice the lack of knobs until I went to turn it off."

"They get in the way."

"Of shower sex?" Iruka smiled weakly. "The water certainly stayed hot long enough. I couldn't have gone down on you in there, though. The water would have gotten in my nose." The hands in his hair froze, and Iruka glanced up to see Kakashi's eye wide with surprise.

"I hadn't considered that," Kakashi admitted, blinking at the man. The few people he'd had in his shower weren't the sort to perform oral, so it had never occurred to him how awkward that might be. "I've never actually had oral sex in a shower. I did get it in a hot spring once, but she could hold her breath longer than most people."

"You've slept with women?" Iruka asked in surprise. He had always considered kunoichi too rare and valuable to risk losing to pregnancy, assuming anyone was rude enough to proposition one in the first place. Even Mizuki steered clear of them, though Iruka suspected that was because they wouldn't give him the time of day. The female chunin he knew seemed to view men either as competition or potential husbands and fathers of their children.

"I don't sleep with them," Kakashi drawled, being deliberately obtuse, "but I have had sex with them. Why does that surprise you? Female shinobi have the same needs we do."

Iruka shrugged weakly. "I'm still new to all of this." And old-fashioned, possibly chauvinistic? He didn't want to be that way. If kunoichi fulfilled their needs with partners of convenience just like the men, he certainly wouldn't judge them for it. Maybe he was biased because his mother had been a kunoichi and fiercely devoted to her husband. He couldn't imagine her having had 'acquaintances' and he didn't want to. Anyway, it made no difference to him what female shinobi did. He couldn't last long enough to top a man, so he certainly wouldn't be having sex with a woman in his lifetime. He did wonder, though, about the last woman he'd been on a mission with. She was harsh and loud, and he had taken her flirting to be playful. He had only gone along with it because he suspected she was actually very self-conscious and only acted out to hide that. Now he couldn't help wondering if she had actually been interested in starting something with him.

Kakashi could see exactly what was going on in the man's head. They hadn't even had sex yet and already Iruka was thinking of future partners. Jealousy and annoyance made his tone more mocking than the chunin deserved. "You're not thinking to try your hand with women next, are you?"

"No," Iruka said bitterly. He knew better. "If I ever decide I just have to try it, I'll visit a whorehouse. At least that way she'd get something out of the encounter." A glance found Kakashi looking far too serious. He quickly shook his head, smiling weakly. "I'm kidding. I barely survived the bar. Can you really see me in a whorehouse?"

"No." Already he regretted having taken a shot at him. There was no point sniping at someone so quick to insult himself. He tossed the towel into the hamper and watched as Iruka ran his fingers through his hair. He looked more vulnerable now that it was damp. It hung straight down, reaching nearly to his shoulders and hiding his face when he bent to dry himself off. Kakashi's own hair was already starting to rise as it dried. He raked a hand through it, ruffing and breaking apart the remaining clumps so it would dry out faster. Then he settled down to wait. It didn't take him long to realize that Iruka was being awfully fastidious about drying himself. "Are you stalling for time, or do you just hate being wet?"

Iruka flushed as he raised the towel to his hair, leaving the rest of him bare. He knew Kakashi was going to look. "Neither," he said, "I just don't want to get your bed damp." His head snapped up suddenly. "We will be doing it in the bed, won't we?"

"Is there someplace else you'd rather do it?" Kakashi teased, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Iruka said seriously. "I prefer doing it in a bed." Standing didn't last long enough to be worth the effort, and the floor would hurt his knees. He knew some people took sex whereever they could get it, but he was definitely old fashioned as far as comfort was concerned. Kakashi approached him and took the towel away, tossing it into the hamper. This was probably a good time to find out what the man's preferences were. He shifted uneasily. "Um, do you have any rules? Aside from the one about your mask, I mean."

Kakashi eased closer, intentionally crowding him. He liked the endearing blush that broke out on his face when he was flustered. What he had said earlier about the man's facial scar was a lie. It was striking and drew one's attention right to his expressive eyes. Dark brown eyes, that seemed reluctant to look directly at him at the moment. "I don't care to limit myself with rules," he murmured. "So long as you don't call out anyone else's name while we're together, I'm sure we'll do just fine."

"Oh," Iruka sighed. The man had such a seductive voice that it took him a while to comprehend what he had said. He expected him to call out. Was that why he'd given him his name? His stomach twisted as he recalled some of the comments he had received before learning to keep quiet during sex. He didn't know what he would do if he had to listen to that from Kakashi. He would snap, and whether that involved hurt or anger, neither would end well. "I doubt I'll say much, so there's little chance of another name slipping out. That wasn't what I meant, though," he said quickly, eager to move on to more pleasant things. "Do you like to be touched or do you prefer to get right to it? I know these things are supposed to be quick, and I've already taken up a lot of your time as it is. Just tell me what you want me to do, and if there's anything in particular that I should avoid doing."

Kakashi might have laughed if the man hadn't looked so earnest. He'd never had a partner so eager to please, and was surprised to find himself reluctant to take advantage of it. "What do you want to do?"

Iruka's eyes dropped, trailing over the man's pale chest. He wanted to touch him, to run his hands all over him. He wanted to lie with him, close and intimate, to feel his warmth the way he hadn't been able to in the hallway earlier with all of their clothes separating them. What he wanted was all very mundane and selfish, inconsiderate of his partner. Kakashi had picked him up for quick impersonal sex and all he wanted most was to cling. The poor man was still sporting an erection. He could at least take care of that as thanks for jerking him off. That was something Mizuki hadn't once considered doing in the entire time he'd known him. "Come on," Iruka said quietly, catching Kakashi's hand. "I want to go down on you. It'll be easier if you sit on the edge of the bed while I do it."

Most of Kakashi's higher brain functioning ceased under the heavy fact that he hadn't received a blowjob in almost a year. He had only enough forethought left to snatch the robe off the back of the bathroom door as the chunin led him back to the bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed would place Iruka on the floor. He would never have suggested it himself. He was considerate of his partners as a matter of course because it simplified things, and he hadn't stripped the man only to leave him shivering on his floor. But if that was the way Iruka preferred to do it, he wasn't about to complain.

Iruka was both surprised and pleased when Kakashi drew the robe over his shoulders. He hadn't expected him to be so thoughtful. It was enough to make him regret having to tie his hair back after the man had made a point of letting it down. "I'll need my hairtie back."

"I'll be happy to hold your hair back for you," Kakashi offered. It came out sounding a little more eager than he had intended. He was usually more suave than that, but all he could think about was the way the man kissed and how good that mouth would feel on his cock. He wasn't used to letting an erection linger this long, so if he sounded eager it was only because he was.

Iruka's lips curved into a knowing smirk. "That's fine with me. I don't mind if you want to hold onto my head and guide me. But I have to warn you not to try holding me down. If I feel I'm being suffocated, I'm liable to bite. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"Definitely not. I'll heed your warning, you can be sure of that." Despite his promise, Kakashi suspected it had been a bluff rather than a real warning. Iruka didn't strike him as the sort to bite, even when he had every right to do so. Not that it would bother him if Iruka were the biting sort. Only a complete asshole would use force on someone who was willingly going down on him. That Iruka felt it necessary to issue that warning didn't reflect well on his past partners. He found himself the recipient of a warm smile and realized there wasn't a hint of awkwardness in the man now. As much as he liked the chunin's high-energy nervousness, confidence looked good on him as well.

Adjusting the robe more comfortably around his shoulders, Iruka settled himself between Kakashi's spread legs. He noticed that the jounin had surprisingly knobby ankles, a sure sign that he wasn't as old as Iruka had assumed. He wondered briefly if the man's face would have given his true age away, then he pushed the thought aside. Fingers slid through his hair to cup the back of his head, and he hoped Kakashi hadn't taken his warning too seriously. It would take at least a little guidance to learn what he liked best. He curled his right hand around the base of Kakashi's erection, his left slipping into his own lap. He used his tongue to get a feel for the man's shape, slicking him evenly before taking the tip into his mouth. There was no pressure from the hands on his head, but he could feel Kakashi's thighs tense. Was he a quiet one, then? He had his answer the moment he took his right hand away, taking him down in one slow slide. A whispered expletive hit the air, and that was all the encouragement he needed. Kakashi's hand began to move, rubbing his hair and massaging nicely along the back of his neck. There was no sign that he wanted it faster, so he stroked him evenly, keeping him deep so long as he had the breath for it. The erotic feel of him sliding over his tongue and pressing into his throat was much more satisfying than the hand he'd curled around his own cock. He stroked himself anyway, and though his erection was slow to form it was a relief to have his body respond to the mental pleasure he took from this.

His right hand rubbed along Kakashi's thigh, enjoying the flexing play of muscles beneath his heated skin. He bobbed his head faster, following the rhythm of the harsh breaths that sounded above him. If only all sex was as simple as this. A faint tug at his hair had him easing back, his right hand sliding around the damp flesh before it could be chilled by the air. His tongue rubbed and swirled around the tip, tasting the precum and feeling the way it twitched eagerly. Kakashi groaned his name and he shivered at the pleasure he heard in his voice, knowing he was responsible for that. With reluctance he let the cock slip from his mouth and looked up to find two mismatched eyes watching him heatedly. A strange thrill went through him as he took in the blood red of the man's left eye. But he didn't ask, and wouldn't have even if he had been thinking clearly. He stroked him firmly, using his thumb to soothe the abandoned tip. "If I finish you off, will you still be able to have sex with me?" He would be willing to finish him off regardless, with pleasure, but he really did want to feel the man thrusting into him.

"Of course," Kakashi said hoarsely. He was so hard he felt as if he could go for hours without finding relief. To think this was the man who had insisted so earnestly that he was bad at sex. He wanted to pull him onto the bed and fuck the hell out of him. It wasn't often that his carnal instinct came out with someone so hesitant, but there was nothing timid about Iruka's sultry smile. He clenched his hands in the man's thick hair as he felt and saw himself being pulled back in. Suddenly he regretted not giving back the hair tie. He wanted to run a hand along his throat, to feel it working as he swallowed him down.

It was only when Iruka felt the cum hit the back of his throat that he struggled. The urge to pull away and cough it up was strong, and he shuddered as the need slowly passed. His cock throbbed in his hand and he could easily imagine he was the one coming so heavily. After what felt like an eternity, he finally pulled away. He leaned his head against Kakashi's knee as he caught his breath. His hair fell against his flushed face as it was released, then Kakashi had reached under his arms and was pulling him up. He barely noticed the robe slipping off his shoulders to pool on the floor. He found himself straddling Kakashi's hips, his forehead pressed against his chest as he looked down at their shadowed erections. Despite the pleasure he had just given him, Kakashi's was far more prominent than his own. He would be embarrassed by that later. For now he was content to enjoy the strong arms around him, and the skilled hands massaging his lower back. A clothed cheek brushed his own and he tensed, suddenly wary of what he might say.

"Slide a little closer," Kakashi murmured, pressing on his back. "That's it," he said, once their cocks were flush against one another. "Stroke us together." Iruka hesitated, and he could feel a tremor work its way down his smooth back. "Would you rather I do it?"

"No," Iruka blurted. "I can do it." Feeling horribly thick-fingered and clumsy, he curled his hands around them. The heated skin that had felt so smooth against his tongue felt even better against his cock. His grip tightened, becoming more sure as Kakashi's hands slipped down to cup his ass, rocking them gently in time with his strokes. It was like having sex, except without penetration. He wondered if people regularly did this or if it were a quirk particular to Kakashi. It was wonderfully intimate, especially when he turned his head so he could hear Kakashi's heartbeat and feel his chest move with his panting breaths. He could easily be satisfied wth this. Perhaps he could forgo anal altogether. It would depend on his partner, of course, since it would only work with someone who didn't mind touching his cock. He wasn't likely to come from this, but he suspected Kakashi wouldn't be disgusted if he did. For all he knew, Kakashi was unique in that and he was doing him a disservice by thinking of possible others rather than appreciating the person he was with. He quickly focused on the task at hand, stroking him in the same sensitive spots he had discovered while going down on him. He wondered what it would feel like if Kakashi came from this and his cum splashed against his own cock. He never got a chance to find out.

Kakashi's arms rose to circle his back as he lifted and moved him to the center of the bed. Startled, Iruka released their erections, finding new purchase on Kakashi's shoulders. He looked up at him in confusion. The man's red eye was still open, but there was too much amusement in his pale eye for Iruka to be truly intimidated. "What did I do wrong?" he asked breathlessly.

"Were you trying to finish me off again?" Kakashi drawled. "I may have boasted of my stamina, but even I have my limits."

"I thought you wanted me to," Iruka explained, frowning lightly. Why else would he have told him to jerk him off if not to come from it? He decided not to blame himself for misunderstanding. "Do you want to have sex now, then?"

As if they hadn't been having sex for some time now. Kakashi raised an eyebrow, his lips tugging into an amused smile. "Do you?"

"Yes, of course." He could feel himself blushing as he released Kakashi's shoulders and started to turn onto his stomach. A firm hand pressed down on his chest, holding him in place. He stilled, unease flickering across his face. "I'd rather do it from behind, if that's okay with you."

"That's fine with me, but there's still the question of how." Kakashi was curious that Iruka hadn't laid out any rules, despite asking him for his earlier. "Would you like me to wear a condom? Did you bring your own lube or will you be all right using mine? Have you already prepped yourself or are you good at relaxing without any prep?" Iruka looked oddly disconcerted by the questions and was slow to respond.

Iruka felt his face heat up even more as he hesitated. He hadn't considered any of that. He had taken it for granted that Kakashi would do it the way he always did. Wasn't that the top's prerogative? He supposed he should be grateful the man was being considerate of his wishes. "Um," he started, "I'm clean, so you don't have to wear a condom unless you want to." He received obscene satisfaction from having his partner come inside of him. His eyes flicked off to the side. He couldn't admit that. Even Mizuki didn't realize just how perverted he really was. "I haven't used lube much," just once, the first time, "but I think you'll like it better without that." According to Mizuki the friction was the only thing that made his ass worth fucking, and even that wore off after a while. "As for prep..." He had to stop, a strange smile pulling at his lips. Mizuki's idea of prep was to spread his cheeks. He seriously doubted that was what Kakashi meant. Did the jounin think he'd been fingering himself during the blowjob? To help him relax better? It was staying tight that he needed help with, and there was no prep designed for that. Aside from slapping, scratching, and a medley of other violent acts he refused to allow. He tried to keep the bitter and slightly hysterical humor from sounding in his voice. "There won't be any need for prep."

"I'd really like to know what you're thinking," Kakashi admitted softly. He felt the man tense beneath him, but the those dark eyes remained averted so he didn't pry. "We'll do it your way, then, if that's how you want it." He received a brief glance filled with relief before the man rolled over, drawing his knees up beneath him. He ran his hands over Iruka's bowed back as he rubbed his cock between his cheeks. He smeared his precum on the man's entrance, but he wasn't leaking nearly enough to keep this from hurting them both. Kakashi didn't care to experience or inflict pain during sex. He got enough of that during missions. But he was fully aware that not everyone shared his aversion. He had been with more than a few, and never more than once. He was surprised and disappointed to learn Iruka was one of those. He would have guessed he was the exact opposite, preferring it gentle and sweet. He couldn't figure out why he was misreading this chunin so badly. He slid his hands back to grip the man's tightly clenched ass and then pushed in. He had barely gotten the head in when he knew this was never going to work. He'd be lucky if he could get fully inside him before coming. He leaned down, bracing himself with one hand as he used the other to brush aside the hair hiding Iruka's face.

"If you don't relax, I'll be the one coming early," Kakashi bit out. "Do you enjoy pain that much?"

"No," Iruka groaned, turning his face into his crooked arm. "I don't enjoy it, but..." It was worth it. It was so much better than the alternative. He couldn't stay clenched for long. Eventually he'd lose his grip and Kakashi would realize he wasn't tight at all. He loosened enough for the man to slide a little deeper and then clenched as tightly as he could. It did hurt more than usual, but Kakashi was much bigger than Mizuki so he had expected that. He was strong enough to take it. "Please just do it. I want you to come inside me."

Kakashi had to admit the clutching vice-like grip as difficult to resist. He didn't understand why Iruka wanted it this way if he didn't enjoy pain, but he had never disappointed a partner before and wasn't about to start now. He forced himself the rest of the way in, grinding hard as he felt the man shudder beneath him. "Alright," he said softly, "I'll do it your way. But then we're doing this my way. Agreed?"

"Anything," Iruka promised instantly. He knew the man wouldn't be up to anything else tonight, so he wasn't worried about having to keep his word. His entire attention was focused on remaining as still, quiet, and tight as possible. Kakashi finally started to move with deep pistoning thrusts. Iruka held his breath so he wouldn't cry out. His entrance burned horribly and he'd never had anyone so deep inside him, but the angle had the cock sliding hard over his prostate. He felt himself shaking and pressed deeper into the bed, hoping it would absorb the worst of his tremors. Kakashi was still leaning over him and he could hear him panting with effort. Then he ground hard against him, rocking his hips as he came. Iruka clutched around him, helping him along, before relaxing with relief and a tired dose of satisfaction. He waited to feel the man soften inside him, but Kakashi immediately pulled out. He found himself flipped over onto his back and was both confused and alarmed to see anger in the man's mismatched eyes.

"Now it's my turn."

"What do you mean?" Iruka asked warily.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he spread Iruka's legs so he was sitting between them. "I mean exactly what I said." The man's erection was blatantly obvious, but no bigger than it had been earlier. If anything, it had softened a bit. He wasn't surprised. It took a real masochist to get off from a fuck like that. "Did you enjoy that at all?"

"Of course I did! I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to." Iruka shifted uneasily, suddenly wanting nothing more than to cover himself and leave. "Why are you angry? You came." He could feel it inside him. "I know you enjoyed it."

"That's precisely why," Kakashi said sharply. "I don't like enjoying myself at the expense of my partner. Anyone who does is an asshole. And that's your problem, isn't it? You've been having sex with assholes."

Iruka looked away guiltily. He did sometimes consider Mizuki an asshole, but only because he was honest to a fault and the truth hurt. Mizuki had plenty of partners now. The only reason he continued to have sex with him was because he knew he wouldn't get any otherwise. He certainly complained too much to be accused of enjoying it. If one of them was an asshole gaining pleasure at the other's expense, Iruka knew it was him. That was why he had stopped. He didn't want to use his friend that way anymore. That was why he was here, with someone who actually wanted to have sex with him. But even now he was faced with anger and dissatisfaction. "If anyone is to blame it's me," he said miserably. "I told you I was bad at this. I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't believe me. I didn't even want to sleep with you because I knew it would end up like this." His eyes burned and he pushed at Kakashi's chest. "Let me up. I want to go home."

This was the second time tonight that Kakashi had seen this man cry and he didn't like it any more now than he had the last. It was even worse knowing he was responsible, but he couldn't quite feel guilty about that when Iruka was so obviously determined to cover for his past partners. He hadn't misread the man at all. He was sure of that now. Iruka was giving and gentle and the only reason he had asked for a callous fuck was because that was what he was used to receiving from his asshole partners. "You're not going home," Kakashi said quietly. "You gave me a promise and I intend to hold you to it. Unless you were lying?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Iruka muttered, crushing the palms of his hands into his eyes. He couldn't believe he was getting teary-eyed in front of the man again. Surely he'd humiliated himself enough without this. "I haven't lied about anything. I'm not a liar."

"Good." Kakashi pulled his hands away, brushing his damp eyes gently with the back of his own hand. "You promised to let me do it my way. That's the promise I want you to keep." The man still looked wary and confused, so he decided to explain a few things to him. "What we just did was not sex. It was a quick fuck. Sometimes, especially after a disturbing mission, all a person wants is a quick one-sided fuck. The point is to take out all of the pent up aggression on another person. A good partner will never ask you to take that. Don't ask for that if you don't enjoy it because odds are your partner won't enjoy it, either."

"It's all I know," Iruka admitted in a small voice. He wondered if things would be different if he had been willing to try some of the things Mizuki kept pushing at him. He didn't want to be limited to aggressive post-mission fucks if there was an alternative. But if what he and Mizuki had been doing didn't even count as sex then he had no idea what did.

"That's why we're going to do it my way now," Kakashi smirked. "It may include things you wouldn't normally do, but I promise there will no pain involved and by the time we're through you'll be coming right along with me."

Iruka gave him a weak smile. "It sounds like you're expecting a miracle."

"Not at all. Just a little trust on your part. First of all, I'm going to loosen you up."

"No!" Iruka blurted. "There's no need for that, really!"

"Yes, you implied the same thing earlier, and then proceeded to squeeze the life out of me. Surely you can see why I have difficulty believing you. Don't worry, I'll be gentle. And since the only thing inside you is my cum, you have nothing to be embarrassed or uncomfortable about." He flashed a teasing smile. "I've been touching my own cum since I was old enough to produce it, and it hasn't hurt me yet."

"I'd rather you didn't," Iruka said quickly, shame darkening his cheeks. "The truth is, I'm naturally loose. Gaping, even. That's why I clenched so much. I didn't want you to realize..."

Anger flared in Kakashi's gut and it took strict control to keep it from showing in his eyes. His tone remained casual. "Let me guess. Your past partners told you that, didn't they. Forgive me if I refuse to take their assessment on face value. If you care to give me their names, I wouldn't mind looking them up later. But for now, I prefer to form my own opinions about you. Just relax, take deep breaths, and stop worrying about what other people have told you. I'm your partner tonight. Mine is the only opinion that should matter to you."

Iruka watched as Kakashi left him to dig in a drawer of the nightstand. He knew the man was right, that it was rude to think of anyone else when he should be focusing entirely on him. But he couldn't simply forget everything he'd heard and been through in the last few years. Kakashi might have a different opinion about some things, but on other points it was the same as always. He had enjoyed the oral and hated the anal. It was the story of Iruka's life. He didn't see how letting him put fingers in his ass - which was too disturbing for words, honestly - would change anything. Still, he had promised to let Kakashi try it his way and he wasn't one to go back on a promise. He pushed himself up on an elbow. "Will you promise me something? If you still hate it after doing it your way, please be honest with me. Don't try to spare my feelings. I'd rather have a painful truth than a lie."

"I haven't hated anything we've done," Kakashi said flatly. "Even the fuck was great. I just regret enjoying it at your expense. If you really want the truth, I find you too innocent for someone who gives head as well as you do. It was the best I've had," he admitted. "You know too much about giving pleasure and not enough about receiving it. To me that means you've been used without even realizing it. Yes, I know you'd deny that. I've noticed how quick you are to stick up for others. I find that annoying, but endearing in a frustrating way." He resumed his position between the wide-eyed man's legs with a wry smile. "I promise to give you as much honesty as you'd like when we're done. Alright?"

"Thank you...I think."

"You're welcome," Kakashi beamed. He neglected to mention that his particular brand of honesty was mixed liberally with tall-tales, exaggerations, and outright lies. He wasn't about to say anything that would intentionally hurt the man's feelings, no matter how sweetly he asked him to do so. Not that he expected to have any complaints. He lifted the black scarf he had retrieved from the nightstand. "I know you wouldn't intentionally peek, but I'd like to put this on you as a precaution. You may be startled into opening your eyes no matter how determined you are to keep them closed."

"I understand," Iruka said quickly. "Actually, it will be a relief not to have to worry so much about keeping them closed." He held still while Kakashi tied it in place. He tilted his head back and pulled it a little lower over his cheeks until he couldn't see anything at all. "Do I look as silly as I feel?"

"I miss being able to see your eyes, but the vulnerable look suits you very well." He pulled his mask down and leaned in for a kiss, blinking in surprise when Iruka turned his head away at the first brush of his lips. "Feeling shy already?"

"No, but..." Iruka licked his lips, his voice dropping to a whisper as he reminded him, "I just went down on you."

"I haven't forgotten," Kakashi assured him. He turned Iruka's face back toward him, licking those lips himself. "Let me show you my appreciation." He kissed him deeply, easing him back against the bed. He could in fact taste himself in his mouth and he liked the fact that he had been there and left his mark. Iruka's arms slid around his neck and he leaned down on him, letting him take some of his weight. He seemed to like that because he pulled him down even more, his kiss every bit as eager and giving as it had been earlier. Kakashi continued kissing him until he was certain there was nothing uneasy or forced about the tension thrumming through his body. It was pure restless need and precisely what he'd been waiting for. He pulled away, placing one last kiss on his lips for the small sound of protest he gave at the loss. He nuzzled his neck, licking and feeling his quiet breathing. He couldn't resist leaving a mark right where it would show above the collar of his uniform.

He ran his hands all over Iruka's chest, hesitating on his nipples before sliding down to massage his stomach muscles. He felt him tense when he dipped a finger teasingly into his navel, and he wondered if Iruka were thinking of what he had admitted earlier. He curled his finger, pushing upward just enough to show him where that particular nerve ran to. He saw his mouth drop open in surprise and smirked, knowing he'd likely be trying that himself sometime in the near future to make sure it hadn't been an anomaly. He ducked his head to suck on one of his nipples. The hands in his hair flexed as Iruka arched into the contact. The man really did like being touched. He ran his hands up and down his sides as he shifted further back. He dipped his tongue into his navel and saw his head jerk so suddenly he was sure his eyes had snapped open.

"Kakashi! You aren't really going to..."

"Do you want me to?" Kakashi teased.

"No!" Iruka moaned, cringing with embarrassment.

That Iruka believed such a thing was even possible was very telling. And cute. "Alright," he said, with feigned disappointment. "Since you're so adamant about it, I'll try to resist the temptation." He opened the small tube he had fetched from the nightstand, squeezing some of the lube onto his fingers. Iruka squirmed when he rubbed some more onto his entrance.

"You could resist doing that, too," Iruka suggested hopefully.

"Nice try," Kakashi smiled. He eased two fingers into him, turning them to coat him evenly. His entrance was hot and reddened from the violent abuse it had suffered. He blew lightly on it, his eyes flicking up to catch Iruka's expression. He shivered, biting his lip and clutching for a moment, but he didn't clench. Kakashi was disappointed by the lack of a vocal response. It was just as well that Iruka was so quiet, though. He wouldn't have listened to his protests. He leaned down and ran his tongue along the length of Iruka's erection as he continued massaging his entrance.

"Wha- What are you doing?"

Kakashi's lips twitched in amusement. So much for the silence. "What does it feel like I'm doing?" he returned. He took the tip into his mouth, sucking lightly and rubbing his tongue along the slit.

Iruka blushed so furiously he threw an arm over his face in an attempt to hide it. "You don't have to do that," he mumbled shakily. He had never imagined he would do that. He never wanted him to stop. If this was what oral sex felt like it was no wonder Kakashi had come so hard from it. He struggled to keep his hips from bucking, knowing firsthand how painful that could be. His free hand clenched a fistful of the blanket under him, as if that might help hold him down. The fingers inside him pushed deeper, striking his prostate, and his hips did buck.

Kakashi deep-throated him, ignoring his breathless apology. He lifted one of Iruka's legs onto his shoulder so he'd be free to move his hips as much as he wanted. He had rid himself of his gag reflex almost as early as he had his virginity. He wasn't the least bit concerned about being choked. He continued to rub and jab at his prostate until Iruka finally lost some of his restraint. His heel dug into Kakashi's back, his hips rising when he wanted it deeper. He was panting vocally now, and a light sheen of sweat broke out on his flushed body. Kakashi bobbed his head, sucking harder as he pulled his fingers out and added a third. Iruka was still tight, but it was an eager clutching as opposed to the desperate clamp from before. He thrust his fingers in harder, rubbing his prostate with each plunge until Iruka tossed his head with a low moan. There was no comparing the writhing passion-inflamed man with the one who had held himself so still and quiet beneath him earlier. Some fool out there had wanted Iruka that way, and filled his head with nonsense in order to achieve that result. This was the real Iruka, and Kakashi was immensely satisfied to know he was the first to see it. Iruka shuddered suddenly, tensing, and Kakashi felt his cock throb hot and hard against his tongue. He quickly released him, letting his leg slip back to the bed, though his fingers continued to stroke him from the inside. He doubted the man would come just from that, but it would keep him on edge.

He stretched out, brushing the hair off Iruka's ear so he could nibble on the lobe. He had noticed how much he liked that. Iruka's hands immediately found and slid around his shoulders to clutch fitfully in his hair. "I'd like to kiss you," Kakashi murmured. "Will it bother you to taste yourself? I won't do it if you don't want me to."

"I do," Iruka groaned. He had never felt so hard in his entire life, and the fingers inside him were driving him crazy. With each thrust he felt closer to breaking. "I want you to. Please!"

Kakashi kissed him crudely, feeling as if his tongue were an extension of his cock and this was the only relief to be had. It was hardly his most graceful kiss, but Iruka didn't seem to mind. So far Kakashi hadn't touched himself at all and seeing the man come apart beneath him was a sore test of his restraint. Again he tried to coax Iruka's tongue into his mouth and this time there was next to no hesitation. He drew him deeper, lavishing him with attention. He had to stop before long, though. He didn't want to risk either of them coming early. Iruka's mouth followed him when he started to pull away. He couldn't resist giving him one last roving sweep.

He pulled his fingers out and used them to slick his cock. Then he lifted Iruka's legs, bracing them on his shoulders. Doing it this way might make his back hurt later, but he would take care of that before seeing him home. He pushed, and Iruka arched beneath him, clutching and pulling him in. He leaned forward, bending him nearly in half as he murmured against his panting lips. "This is sex, Iruka. This is."

Iruka whimpered and didn't have the sense to be embarrassed by the sound. His hands pulled at Kakashi's back and hair, trying to bring him closer only for his own legs to get in the way. He spread his legs wider so their chests pressed sweatily against one another without changing the angle. Or the depth, for that matter. Kakashi was so deep, rocking against him in a way that sent shudders of pleasure up and down his spine. He wasn't even thrusting yet, and already he felt overwhelmed. Kakashi's tongue plunged into his mouth and he kissed him feverishly. He wanted nothing more than to stroke himself to completion, but he knew he couldn't cheat Kakashi that way. He tightened his legs, pushing into Kakashi's swaying hips, trying to urge him into motion. Finally Kakashi did begin to move, but it was in slow delving thrusts that only served to stimulate and frustrate him even more.

Kakashi pulled away when Iruka's kiss became frantic. He hadn't forgotten the hallway and how quickly he responded to kissing. He moved his lips to his neck, sweeping his tongue out to taste the vibrations as he cried out. His voice was thick with need, and Kakashi couldn't help but respond. He lengthened his thrusts, each one coming faster and harder. If Iruka was hanging by a thread, then he was teetering on the edge. The only difference was that he had been here before and knew exactly how long he could maintain his balance. Iruka was squeezing him nearly as tightly as before, and he pushed in deep, grinding hard against him. So he really did like it rough. Kakashi didn't mind giving it to him now that he was so ready and eager to take it. He gradually let go of his restraint. Iruka was completely uninhibited and it was only fair to give him his all. He watched him closely for any signs of discomfort as he pounded into him. He wondered what it would be like to have him after a mission, to pour all of his adrenaline into driving him wild and keep him there all night. He would hold him while he slept and wake him in the morning to leisurely soothe away all of his lingering aches. He was suddenly determined to have that. Just the thought of it had him losing control. His hips snapped frantically as he squeezed a hand between them to stroke Iruka's throbbing cock. That was all it took. Iruka's back arched off the bed, his legs clamping down on him nearly as tightly as his ass. Kakashi buried himself as deeply as he could, shuddering as he came with a cry every bit as loud as Iruka's.

It seemed to Iruka that he would never stop trembling. His legs were splayed limply to either side of Kakashi's hips. The weight of him made it difficult to catch his breath, but he wouldn't have wanted him anywhere else. Heat radiated off him even as Iruka's sweaty limbs began to cool. He could feel him softening inside him and couldn't resist clutching gently, wanting to feel the difference. Toward the end he had felt enormous, easily large enough to tear him apart. He had wanted him to. Maybe he had even begged him to. He honestly couldn't remember. And he didn't care. If he had begged, then it was only because Kakashi had driven him to it. He turned his cheek into Kakashi's soft hair, listening to the rasping breath he felt so hotly against his neck. That was the sound of utter satisfaction. He wouldn't accept it as anything else. He slid his heavy arms around Kakashi's back and closed his eyes behind the blindfold. If that was sex, this was contentment.

Iruka didn't realize he had dozed off until he found himself being lifted from the bed. The blanket made a feeble attempt to come with him, having dried to his back after his sweaty exertions. He sent a bemused look over his shoulder at it before turning to slide an arm around Kakashi's neck. It didn't occur to him to ask what he was doing, no more than it did to apologize for falling asleep on him. He merely rested his head against his chest and stared up at him. He was such a fine specimen, and so good looking even with the mask. His gaze dipped appreciatively over his neck before settling on his chest. "I'm going to regret not asking permission to touch you when I had the chance," he sighed.

"You'll have other chances," Kakashi assured him, smiling in amusement. Iruka sounded completely out of it. He had worried this might be awkward and difficult. He was surprised and pleased to find him so relaxed, not that he hadn't been rather wiped out himself. "I took it upon myself to run us a bath. I hope you don't mind."

"I'd like that," Iruka smiled. "Your tub is certainly big enough." It wasn't until Kakashi sat down in the hot water, still holding him in his lap, that he realized he probably should have offered to walk on his own. He wasn't exactly light. Then again, he hadn't asked to be carried, and it was impressive how strong Kakashi was. Kakashi rubbed a soapy cloth over his chest. Iruka promptly took it from him, turning to wash Kakashi's chest instead. He had said he would get another chance to touch him. He wouldn't let it slip by him this time. "Was I out long...?"

"No," Kakashi said. He decided not to mention that Iruka was the first person to pass out on him. He rather liked that. He poured body wash onto a second washcloth and set to washing Iruka's back. This was another first for him. Ironically, although he'd had sex in his tub he had never bathed in it with someone before.

Iruka washed his neck, eyeing the edge of his mask. "Would you like me to close my eyes so you can wash beneath that?"

"I've already changed masks. Thank you for offering, though."

"Oh, of course," Iruka blinked. "This one is dark gray. I should have noticed that." He frowned for a moment before shrugging it off. "I'm still distracted by what we did. It was wonderful."

"I thought so, too."

The cloth rubbed lower over Iruka's back, then dipped into the water to slide along his ass. Iruka suddenly recalled what Kakashi had said about bathtubs and what he liked to do in them. His head snapped up and he sent a wide-eyed look at him. "Were you wanting to have sex again? In here?"

"It had occurred to me," Kakashi admitted wryly, "but I didn't think you'd be up to it."

"I'm not," Iruka blurted. "I'm sorry, but I'm really not. I'm a little sore and tired, and as much as I enjoyed that I really don't think I can go through it again so soon." He was sure he would dearly regret that later. But now all he wanted was to get clean and then sleep for a few hours. "I really am sorry."

"Don't be." Kakashi rubbed his fingers softly over his entrance. "I'm not asking for another go, I'm just going to clean you up. It is my mess, after all."

Iruka ducked his head with a heated blush. "You were right about that," he forced himself to admit. "I did enjoy it." Kakashi didn't tease him, and his fingers were gentle. He did his best to stay still and relaxed. Although he really was sore, he knew his flush wasn't just from embarrassment. He didn't need his prostate stimulated to enjoy the feel of him delving around inside him. He was still glad when it was over. He doubted he would ever get used to that sort of intimate contact. The rest of the bath went smoothly. He got to do plenty of touching, and he was feeling quite satisfied when they finally climbed out.

Kakashi waited until they were both dressed before drawing Iruka over to sit on his rumpled bed. "I want to talk to you before I see you home." He noticed the way Iruka was leaning forward, shifting uncomfortably. He reached behind him to press his hand over the small of his back. He passed some healing chakra into him, nodding when Iruka straightened up with wide eyes. "Better? Good. As I was saying, I think we should make a go of this. My schedule won't allow me to make myself available to you as readily as another chunin's might, but we've established that our encounters would be mutually satisfying."

"You want to partner with me? Regularly?"

"Exclusively," Kakashi corrected firmly. "So long as we're together, we only turn to each other."

Iruka was both excited and very flattered. "How would it work? I understand that you have more responsibilities than I do, but how will I know when you are available?" He assumed there was some sort of system involved, nothing as obtrusive yet simple as calling each other up. He couldn't see himself actually having the guts to seek the man out for his own sake, but he was sure he'd drop everything if Kakashi wanted to see him.

"Do you have experience teleporting objects?" He could tell from Iruka's wince that he didn't. That didn't worry him. The chunin's ambition was to teach, so he was bound to be a quick study. "I'll lend you a scroll on it. Wait here."

Iruka fidgeted when he was left alone in the room. He was distinctly embarrassed to realize the room smelled musky from what they had done. But Kakashi had enjoyed it as much as he had, enough that he wanted to see him on a regular basis. Only him. That was a lot of pressure, but he could hardly wait to get home and begin learning the jutsu Kakashi was fetching for him. He would have to practice normal teleportations as well. After he caught up on his sleep, that was. He ran a hand over his back with a small smile. He hadn't asked him to do that. Kakashi was very considerate and he had done it as if it were natural, without expecting gratitude or praise. He was a nice person. Iruka knew he'd have to watch out for his strange sense of humor, and he never wanted to make him angry again. But those were minor things he could easily work around. He would do his best to be a good partner for as long as Kakashi wanted him.

Kakashi returned with three scrolls. He handed him one of the small ones and then held the thick one aloft. "There are some advanced jutsus in here that should never be attempted alone. I want your word that you won't try doing them by yourself."

"I won't even look at them," Iruka promised quickly.

Kakashi smiled at that. "You can look at them. They aren't restricted. You might even find them useful. I just don't want you trying them on your own. You can study them and practice the handsigns, but wait till you're with me before attempting to perform them." He handed him the scroll and then spread the last one on the bed. "This is the summoning circle," he explained. "They're identical, which connects them to one another. When I'm available, I'll leave mine open. You do the same. When you want to see me, send something through. A coin would be easiest to start with, small and solid. If my scroll is closed, it will bounce back. I'll do the same when I want to see you." He rolled up the scroll and set it on the nightstand. "Once you're proficient with teleporting things we can do without the scrolls. There is a simple ward you can set up that will prevent things from coming through when activated. I'll help you set that up when the time comes so it doesn't interfere with any wards you already have in place."

Iruka nodded quickly, afraid to admit he had no wards set up at home. He would have to get some now, if only to protect Kakashi's scrolls. He wasn't about to risk Mizuki getting his hands on them. He would hide them with his money in the meantime. "If you send something through, should I teleport directly here? Or send something back so you know to come get me?" He recalled the traps Kakashi had disarmed in his hall. He didn't relish the thought of arriving too close to one and setting it off. "I'd prefer to have you come get me. Unless that would be inconvenient?"

"It's no inconvenience on my part. Just take me to your place so I'll know where I'm going."

Iruka slipped the smaller scroll into his vest, looping the larger one at his side. "You'll want to hold onto me," he admitted, placing Kakashi's hand on his shoulder. "It's been a while since I teleported with another person." Two and a half months, to be precise. He had practiced quite a bit after making chunin and learning the technique. But then he had thrown himself into missions and hadn't had cause to use it since. He concentrated carefully and was relieved when they arrived in his bedroom without a hitch. Then he realized how squalid his room was in comparison to Kakashi's. "I'm sorry it's not much to look at," he winced. "I'm not here that often and I don't want to waste funds on another place right now. That can wait until I have a full-time position in the village." Kakashi reached out to run a hand over his bed, and he nearly cringed in embarrassment. "We never have to do anything here! I doubt my bed would stand up to it, even if we wanted to..."

"I'd be glad to take you back to my place when you want to see me," Kakashi offered. The bedroom wasn't nearly as bad as Iruka was making it out to be. He'd certainly had sex in worse places. This one smelled strongly of Iruka, which made it quite nice in his opinion. But he liked the idea of limiting their encounters to his own territory too much to force the issue. "I do have a spacious bathroom at my place."

Iruka grinned, laughing quietly at the reminder. "I'd like that."

"Good." Kakashi slipped an arm around his back, pulling him close. "A kiss before I go? To seal the deal?"

Iruka obediently closed his eyes. It wasn't the passionate kiss he had expected, just a firm press of lips on his, and another one on that sensitive spot just below his ear. Somehow that was even nicer. He heard a poof as Kakashi departed, and opened his eyes to find himself alone, a very foolish smile spread over his face. The smile widened as he first sat and then lay back on the bed. Suddenly he broke into laughter. This was all so hard to believe. By the time he gained control of himself, he was grinning his fool head off. He didn't care. He had a partner of his own and he couldn't wait to see him again.

.-.  
TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Iruka woke just after dawn to the sound of someone pounding on the door. He was immediately on edge, pushing aside the disturbing dream he'd been having as he hurried to answer the summons. His recent flurry of solo missions was paying off. When he'd first gotten the apartment he had jumped at anything resembling a knock and would have panicked had someone pounded on his door that way. Now he was just as quick to react, but more curious than concerned. He opened the door to a seething and very familiar woman. Mizuki had angrily dubbed her 'that crazy bitch' because she lived directly above his apartment and reacted violently when he had too many people over. Iruka wasn't aware of any recent altercations between the two of them. In fact, Mizuki hadn't mentioned her at all in over a month, so he had assumed the two of them had either worked things out or learned to ignore each other.

"Can I help you?" Iruka asked. "Mita...rashi-san, was it?"

"Anko," the woman snapped. "Where is he?"

"If you're looking for Mizuki, I haven't seen him since last night." Now that he could look past her open hostility, he realized what a sorry state she was in. She was one of those who didn't bother with the standard uniform, and her mesh shirt was tattered and filthy. The short sleeve was split on her right shoulder, and he could see the beginning of a long bruise stretching down her arm. He didn't think Mizuki was strong - or lucky - enough to have caused that even if the two of them had gotten into another fight. Rather, she looked as if she had just gotten back from a rough mission. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right? This is all his fault. If you're hiding him-"

"Please come in," Iruka said quietly, stepping aside. "I'll make you a strong cup of ration coffee. You look like you could use it."

She stalked past him, her eyes darting suspiciously around the living area. Iruka opened the door to his bedroom so she could see for herself that no one was hiding in there. He wasn't insulted when she checked the bathroom as well. Her suspicion had faded by the time she came back out. She must have glanced in the mirror while she was in there, because she was rubbing at the dried mud on the side of her neck. Iruka grabbed the tin from his pack and she followed him quietly into the kitchen.

"I thought I was the only one who drank that stuff at home," she muttered, taking a tired seat at the table.

"It's all I have on hand," Iruka admitted, as he made them each a cup. "I've been taking a lot of missions lately, so I don't keep much here."

"If it's good enough for missions, it's good enough for home," she stated, as if repeating a personal motto. She took a sip, wrinkled her nose at the bitter flavor, and then took a longer drink. The mug clacked hard on the table as she gave him a sharp stare. "You honestly don't know where he is?"

"No. I just returned from a mission last night. He stopped by for a few minutes and said he was meeting some people. Have you tried his apartment?" She leaned back with an incredulous expression, and he blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You really don't know," she said, frowning at him. "He was kicked out over a month ago for not paying his rent. I figured he moved in with you. That's why I came here. I helped him out on a mission last month in exchange for him helping me out on one of mine. I waited at the rendezvous point all night and he never showed. He'll be lucky if I decide to beat the hell out of him instead of reporting this. Either way, he owes me forty thousand ryo for that mission. If you see him before I do, you can tell him I expect cash. I won't count on another promise to team up with him."

Iruka's stomach churned and it was all he could do not to get up and pace. He'd been afraid something like this would happen. After finally making chunin he had decided to strike out on his own. That meant his own missions and his own place. That also meant he would no longer be obligated to pick up the slack when Mizuki decided to goof off. They had to be responsible for themselves at some point, and he had been more than ready. Obviously Mizuki wasn't. And he'd be damned if he were going to help dig him out of whatever mess he was in now.

"I'll pass your message along," Iruka promised softly. "Were you still able to accomplish your mission without him?"

"No. It's a two person job." She eyed him expectantly, and glowered when he didn't take the bait. "I know you've been sticking with the solo distance jobs. Genma says you're the reason there are never any breezes left for the rest of us. But this is a quick job, a few hours at most. I'll do all the dirty work. All you'd have to do is act as a lookout for me." Her eyes narrowed resentfully. "I'll split the pay..."

Iruka grinned. "Half if there's trouble, ten percent if it goes smoothly."

"Deal," Anko said instantly. "Can you go now, or later this morning? I really want to get this done. I still don't have the best record around here, so the last thing I need is a suspicious delay."

That meant the mission probably had to do with Sound. Iruka had heard all about her troubles as a genin, thanks to Mizuki's loose lips. As far as he was concerned, that was none of his business. The Hokage wouldn't have promoted her to chunin if he didn't trust her. That was all he needed to know. "Let me get packed and we can go now. Would you like a ration bar? It's not the tastiest breakfast, but it'll do in a pinch."

"Sure," Anko said, flashing a grin. "That's all I've got at home, anyway. I can't remember the last time I went shopping for anything other than mission supplies."

She was even worse than him. Iruka tossed her a bar and then shut himself in his room. He ate a bar himself as he dressed and repacked his vest. He hadn't actually decided whether or not to get a new mission this morning, so this worked out well. They weren't likely to run into complications in the daylight so he'd still be saving her money, and it had been a while since he'd last held a sentry position so it would be good practice for him. It would also postpone a confrontation with Mizuki. If he lectured him, he'd be obligated to help him, and there was no point lending money to someone who was fully capable of taking missions but who chose not to. That would just be enabling him. The only way to help Mizuki was to not help him at all. That didn't stop him from feeling guilty about Anko. Mizuki had never said a decent word about her, so he was appalled to learn he had asked for her help during a mission. He had probably never had any intention of returning the favor. That he had led her on to the point where she had waited for him in dangerous territory was reprehensible.

Two hours later, Iruka had transitioned from feeling sorry and responsible for the woman to being impressed by her. She was faster, but hadn't offered a single complaint about having to match his pace. He could see why she might resent him taking so many of the B-rank transport missions. If her stamina matched her speed, she could probably have done them faster. Her true talents lay elsewhere, though, so he didn't feel guilty for taking those missions. He certainly couldn't have completed the one she was on. She was setting up a contact point for a surveillance team. He knew how to set up contact wards that would enable a team to teleport directly to the spot, but she was tying those to seals he had never learned. The only one he recognized was the chakra sensor, which would warn the team if anyone was in the area. Even if he had learned to place the seals, he couldn't have done it himself. They were being placed underground by means of snake summons. She was one of the few shinobi in the village who had those and he hated that Mizuki had compromised a mission only she could do.

His role was almost too easy. The only sign that anyone had been in the area recently was a furrow in a nearby embankment, which Anko reluctantly admitted she had made after being spooked by an owl she had mistaken for a summon. There was a good reason these jobs were performed by two-man teams. Iruka found and disposed of the bird, and erased the evidence of her mishap. He also located the spot half hidden in the brush where she had lain in wait for Mizuki. It would have been a great place to hide without using any ninjutsu if it hadn't been the only place in the area thick enough to conceal a person. It was no wonder she had eventually gotten spooked. With her tracks covered, Iruka did careful patrols of the area while she worked. He couldn't help but wonder what sort of traffic the surveillance team would be watching for, and why they had picked this particular part of the border to monitor. He suspected there was more to the mission than Anko had explained. She'd probably accomplished the solo portion herself last night before coming here to meet her backup.

His suspicions were confirmed when they returned to the village and she told him what ten percent amounted to. He'd unwittingly helped her with the back-end of an A-rank mission. It was his very first A-rank mission and all he felt was disgust that Mizuki had known that and left her out there alone anyway. He felt obligated to berate her for not telling him. He wasn't ready for A-rank missions and he knew that better than anyone. She didn't take the lecture well until she realized he wouldn't accept more than the eight thousand that ten percent of an easy B-rank would have netted him. She laughed then, grinning and slapping his back so hard he felt it through his vest. He served her another cup of overly strong coffee while he wrote up the report on his portion of the mission. She left filthier than ever but in a much better mood. Iruka was in a better mood, too. He had technically cleaned up part of Mizuki's mess, but he hadn't done it for Mizuki. He'd done it for a fellow shinobi. One he might very well look to the next time he was offered a mission that required a partner skilled at seals and infiltration. He had an idea she wouldn't refuse so long as she received a reasonable share of the pay.

Once he'd cleaned up, he gave in and bought just enough groceries to have something other than rations for lunch. Then he set to work with a few seals of his own. At their base they were standard, but he added plenty of his own touches. By the time he was done he admired his handiwork, confident even a truly determined thief would balk at the seemingly chaotic web. Mizuki wouldn't stand a chance, of course. He had never had the patience for puzzles, especially ones with trick answers. Iruka didn't kid himself that his work would do anything more than irritate and inconvenience a jounin, but if someone that skilled wanted to raid his apartment there wasn't anything he could do about it, anyway.

It was late afternoon by the time he settled at his table with Kakashi's scrolls. He knew there was little chance of the man contacting him so soon, but he got a thrill out of opening the little scroll and knowing the possibility existed. He was also excited to open the large scroll. All shinobi had a library, built from buying, trading, and writing their own scrolls and books. Iruka had only a modest start to his own collection. He looked forward to expanding on it once he was working at the Academy and had free access to their archives. All of the justus on Kakashi's scroll followed the same theme of storing, transporting, and summoning. He immediately spotted one he would never have the chakra to perform on his own. Kakashi needn't have worried that he would burn himself attempting that. He had excellent chakra control and was very aware of his limits. He could honestly boast that there was no waste involved in his ninjutsu. Except he would never boast of that because it was only his average chakra reserves that had led him to be so efficient. He took note of the techniques that would suit him the best, and then turned his attention to the jutsu Kakashi wanted him to learn. It started with the small scrolls, so the quickest way to learn would be to replicate them.

He studied the seals and practiced drawing the ones he was least familiar with. Then he memorized their arrangement. Once he was sure he had it down, he drew them out on two blank scrolls of his own. Naturally his first attempt to transport a coin from one scroll to the other failed. At first he thought he had messed up the amount of chakra he was using, since the scroll dictated only that more was required for larger objects. Finally he had to accept that he had messed up somewhere while drawing out the seals. He couldn't find any flaws when he compared them individually against Kakashi's. But when he placed them side by side he spotted the differences. He had just corrected the seals when someone pounded on his door for the second time that day.

He rolled up Kakashi's scrolls and hid them away. His own he slid under the bed where they could dry out of sight. Despite his initial rush, he took his time answering the door. He had a good idea who it would be this time. He unlocked and opened the door to find a flushed and furious Mizuki fuming on his doorstep.

"What the hell, Iruka?" Mizuki growled as he pushed his way past him and into the apartment. "I thought you were kidding about putting up a seal. If you didn't want me teleporting in anymore, you could have just said so."

Iruka rolled his eyes as he shut the door. He had said so, on many occasions, and Mizuki knew it. "Touch my refrigerator and you'll lose your hand," he warned. Mizuki sent him a scowl, but he bypassed the fridge to grab a cup of coffee instead.

"I knew you'd be pissy today," Mizuki muttered. He sat down and immediately spotted the little jar in the middle of the table. Iruka took it away before he could raise it to his nose.

"It's blood and ink," he said reprovingly. "You can't be hungry enough to drink that even if you are broke."

Mizuki scoffed at that. "I'm not broke. You're the one scrimping and saving so much you can't even share your food with a guest. Which I guess I am now that you've got me sealed out of here." He shook his head, giving him a disgusted look. "You hold a grudge worse than a woman."

"Speaking of women," Iruka said coldly, "Anko stopped by here this morning looking for you. She said you were supposed to have had a mission with her last night, and that you owe her forty thousand ryo. She wants cash."

"The hell she does!" Mizuki choked and slammed the coffee cup down. "I don't owe that crazy bitch a damn thing! I can't believe she came running to you with her bullshit. Did she happen to mention that she got me kicked out of my apartment?"

"She said you were kicked out for not paying your rent," Iruka sighed. "How could you let that happen?" Mizuki's apartment had been even worse than his, with rent to match. He'd never find somewhere cheaper.

"I didn't," Mizuki snapped. "What, just because she's a woman you believe every word she says? You're so gullible it's pathetic, but you could at least give me the benefit of the doubt as your friend. Two C-rank missions a month would cover the rent in that hellhole. You think I can't handle two C-ranks a month?"

"I know you could," Iruka said quietly, "if you were actually taking missions. But you're not, are you? That's why you didn't tell me you had lost your apartment."

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd just worry and lecture me," Mizuki waved dismissively. "I'm staying with someone now. The only reason I'm not taking missions is because he'd rather have me available than rich, if you know what I mean. It gives me more time to train, which is a lot more important to me than making money right now." He gave him a pointed stare. "I have to make up for not passing the exam sooner, after all."

Iruka's lips pressed into a thin line, anger roiling in his gut. They had failed the chunin exam three years in a row and each time Mizuki had insisted it was his fault. They would probably still be genin if they hadn't been separated in the final stage of the last exam. They simply couldn't work together at a chunin level, and Iruka knew Mizuki was as much to blame for that as he was. That wasn't the point right now, though. No matter what circumstances had led to Mizuki losing his apartment, that didn't change the fact that he had abandoned a comrade in a potentially lethal situation. "Were you aware that Anko's mission was an A-rank one?"

"No, but I wouldn't have teamed up with her even if it were an S-rank mission after she got me thrown out of my place. Not that I believe they'd actually give her an A-rank in the first place, or that she'd be stupid enough to expect me to help on one if they did. She helped me out with a simple B-rank mission, and I offered to return the favor the next time she had one. If she really did expect to call in that favor on an A-rank mission, she's crazier than I thought."

"She did expect your help," Iruka informed him, "and she waited for you all night. You not only risked compromising her mission, you endangered her life. What were you thinking? How could you do that? No matter what personal issues you have with her, you should have at least warned her that you wouldn't be there."

Mizuki's eyes narrowed, and he leaned over the table, his voice dropping. "I would have if I had known anything about her mission. But I didn't! We made our deal over a month ago and I haven't talked to her since. She named the time and place, but she sure as hell didn't mention anything about it being an A-rank mission. After she got me kicked out - without my security deposit, by the way - I naturally assumed the deal was off. You don't do that to someone and then expect them to help you out. That's assuming anything she told you about her mission was true, which I doubt. They don't give A-rank missions to chunins, especially ones who happen to be former traitors like her. Shit, Iruka, wise up a little. You can't believe every sob story you hear." His eyes widened suddenly. "You didn't give her money, did you?"

"No," Iruka said, dropping his eyes with a frown. He was suddenly aware of the fact he hadn't asked to see Anko's mission scroll. He only had her word that what they'd been doing was part of an official mission. And it was right on the border of Sound. He didn't want to suspect her when he knew so many others did, but now that the seed had been planted he couldn't help but worry. He had given her his report. All she had to do to keep their actions a secret was to not turn it in.

"Good," Mizuki sighed, sitting back down with a satisfied smile. "No self-respecting shinobi should be doing that crazy bitch any favors. I bet the only reason she was able to get me kicked out is because she was fucking the landlord. She sure as hell dresses like a whore."

Iruka slammed his palms on the table, his eyes flashing as he shot to his feet. "One more comment like that and I will throw you out."

"Damn," Mizuki breathed, leaning away with a wince. "I'm sorry. I guess I forgot who I was talking to for a minute there. You've always been quick to defend the ladies," he smiled weakly. "Not another word on the subject, I promise."

Taking his coffee cup, Iruka moved to the counter so Mizuki was at his back. He didn't want to look at him. As angry as he was at Mizuki for defaming Anko that way, he was just as angry with himself for doubting her. All it had taken were a few insinuations from someone with a grudge against her. The worst part was knowing he couldn't risk ignoring his doubts out of blind trust. If that mission didn't show up on his record he would have no choice but to assume he really had been helping her weaken Fire country's border. He was torn between judging her unfairly and possibly hurting the village, and he couldn't blame Mizuki for that. Standard procedure when joining someone on a mission was to check the mission scroll to make certain it contained the Hokage's seal. That was one of the first things pregenin learned in the Academy. And to think, he fancied himself a teacher.

"So," Mizuki drawled, "I heard about your little trip to the bar last night."

Iruka groaned, knowing he didn't have the patience for this talk. He turned and folded his arms over his chest. "I'm not discussing that with you. Hurry up and finish your coffee. I have to get to the mission office and you're not taking that mug with you. I only have three left as it is."

"Like you ever need more than two, anyway," Mizuki scoffed, rolling his eyes. "And of course you're going to the mission room. I'm just surprised you didn't do it last night. Or maybe you couldn't walk straight enough to get there." He turned in his chair with a leering smirk. "Did it hurt?"

Everything in Iruka screamed at him not to ask, but his mouth moved anyway. "What?"

"Being fucked in the alley. You never could take it standing up and I bet the brick wall scraped the hell out of your palms. It must have hurt."

Iruka's hands curled into fists, digging painfully into his folded arms. "I didn't fuck anybody in the alley!"

Mizuki snorted. "That's not what he's saying. Really, Iruka, you could have at least picked someone who can keep his mouth shut. He said you promised not to scream and then squealed so much the people walking by thought a pig was being slaughtered."

"He's lying," Iruka ground out, "and if you believed him you're as disgusting as he is."

Mizuki's face sobered swiftly. "I wouldn't have believed him if I didn't know for a fact you never came back here last night. If you weren't getting reamed in some alley, where the hell were you?"

"Out," Iruka snapped. "The same place I'm about to throw you." He saw Mizuki's eyes narrow and wondered if he would have to make good on that threat. He wasn't sure he'd be able to without damaging his apartment. While he had been busy with missions, Mizuki had been training. He had no idea what sort of things he'd learned. He doubted a fight with him now would be anything like the immature scuffles they'd had as genin. Maybe it would be good for them, though. Whether he won or lost, Mizuki dropped some of his bravado after a fight, making him much easier to deal with. "Is that what you want? A fight?"

Mizuki grinned suddenly, pushing away from the table. "It has been a while," he acknowledged with a wry laugh. "Your kitchen isn't the best place to get into it, though. You'd probably make me replace anything we damaged."

"You know I would."

"Okay, okay. You don't have to throw me out. And don't worry about the rumors, either. I'll play damage control for you. Just stay away from the bar for a while, okay? I can shut up that slob for you, but if you piss off one of the jounin you're on your own."

"I'd rather just let the rumors die out on their own," Iruka frowned. "I'm not going back to that bar, so people will find better things to talk about before long, anyway." And Mizuki was still acting as if he thought the story might be true. His method of snuffing out the talk could just as easily feed the flames instead. "Just leave it alone, please?"

"Well, if you're sure..."

"I am," Iruka said firmly.

"Fine, have it your way. Good luck at the mission office. I sure wouldn't want to go in there at this hour if I'd had a night like yours. If anyone gives you a hard time, just remember it was your idea to go there, so you brought this on yourself."

"I know," Iruka muttered. Last night was worth being the butt of a ridiculous rumor. No one who actually knew him would believe it, anyway. The only reason Mizuki believed it, if he really did, was because he wanted to be proven right. He locked the door behind Mizuki and hurried back to the bedroom. His scrolls were dry, so he hid them away with Kakashi's. Then he left, heading straight for the mission office. He braced himself so he wouldn't worry too much if there was no record of the mission. Plenty of people waited till the next day to turn in reports, especially if they had come back exhausted. He had the good part of forty-eight hours before he could justify panicking.

The mission room was crowded, but much more relaxed than it had been last night. The Hokage often put in a shift in the mornings, so it would take a while before the people manning the desk started cracking and the real frenzy began. Iruka kept to the back of the room and tried not to notice that a few people were looking toward him. They were chunin, and the looks were more curious than mocking. They could easily be wondering why he had waited till late afternoon to pick up a mission. Most of the people here at this hour were turning in reports, after all. He got in the far line reserved for inquiries and corrections. It was the shortest but slowest moving line in the room. He had only gone forward two steps when he spotted someone making a beeline toward him. He made out Genma's grin and stiffened his back just in time to be whacked on the shoulder. He'd never understand why some people chose to show their amusement by hitting him. He shot the man a reproachful look, resisting the urge to rub the sting out.

"I should have known you'd be in here to see it in writing," Genma said teasingly. "They haven't updated records for the day yet, so you'll have to try again tomorrow. Or next week, considering how behind they are around here. You should have come in with Anko earlier. She threw a real tantrum about that. This was her fourth A-rank this month and she still hasn't been paid for the last two. She's bound and determined to make special jounin before the year's out. But what's your story? I thought you were going to wait at least a year before trying your hand at an A-rank."

Iruka had stepped out of the line, and he didn't resist when Genma drew him off to the side. He was heady with relief, and feeling guilty as hell for having doubted her in the first place. He would never forget to check the mission scroll again. "It was a spur of the moment decision," he said, in answer to Genma's question. "Luckily she didn't end up needing my help for anything."

"Luckily," Genma repeated, giving him a knowing look.

Iruka knew he was referring to the streak of good luck he'd had with his missions so far. It was only a matter of time before his luck ran out and he encountered trouble during one of them. "I know, luck only goes so far."

"Just so long as you remember that," Genma said seriously. Then he smiled again. "When you set out to turn heads, you don't do things by halves. Snubbing a jounin, making a chunin piss himself, and then turning up on an A-rank with Anko first thing in the morning? No one's sure what to make of it. I have my ideas, though. My guess is you finally broke up with Mizuki and now you're on the prowl. If chunin and jounin are out, what about a special jounin? I'd be happy to keep you company until Anko gets her promotion."

"Oh, please," Iruka groaned, backing away before the teasing went too far. "You shouldn't listen to rumors." Though it sounded like the rumors Genma had heard were at least closer to the truth.

"What rumors?" Genma demanded, as if he were insulted. "I got it straight from Kotetsu. You must have seen him at the bar last night. He sure saw you. He said the look you turned on that chunin was so scary it's a wonder no one else had an accident. Not that I'm surprised," he grinned, clapping his palm on Iruka's shoulder again. "I always knew you had it in you. No one with hair that tight could be as mild-mannered as you put on."

"I need to get in line for a mission," Iruka said uneasily. If he really had made that chunin wet himself, then it was no wonder the man was now lying about him. There would be more buzz now that there were two versions of the story circulating. He decided to look on the bright side. If people assumed he had either gotten together with that chunin or gone home alone to prepare for his mission with Anko, then no one would ever guess where he had actually spent the night. He frowned when Genma caught his arm.

"They're all out of the missions you like," Genma explained. "In fact, Anko nabbed the last one on her way out."

"That figures," Iruka sighed with a weak smile. So they really were in competition for those missions. He wouldn't begrudge her this one, but he'd be back first thing in the morning for any new ones that popped up. No shinobi could have more than three outstanding missions at a time, so it wasn't as if either of them could really monopolize the breezes. "I guess I'll have to settle for a C this time."

"Or you could forget about nabbing a mission and have dinner with me instead. What? Did you think I wouldn't ask now that you're available?"

"I think I'd better stick with a mission," Iruka said, softening the rejection with a smile. "I'm not actually available, as you put it. Even if I were, you're a little too...friendly for me."

Genma's brows lowered at that, though it was more of a pout than a glare. "Meaning what, you like 'em shy instead? Because Anko is not shy. Don't let that little-girl blush of hers fool you. She can be downright sadistic when she sets her sights on something. Or just in general, for that matter..."

Iruka's eyes widened and he couldn't stop himself from asking. "You and Anko?"

Genma shifted uneasily, not meeting his eyes. "I never said that." He drew a senbon from his jacket and placed the tip in his mouth, where he had to talk around it. "Anyway, let me know if you change your mind. Offer's open any time."

Bemused and curious, Iruka watched him walk away and disappear into the crowd the way so many special and regular jounin were prone to do. He would never have guessed those two might have history. It was no wonder Genma had been so curious about his mission with her. Iruka was more curious about the way he had mentioned Mizuki, though. He had told Genma, repeatedly, that they were not and had never been a couple, but the man had continued to tease him about it. If he had known all it would take was one solo trip to the bar to convince him they weren't together, he might have done it months ago. Unless Genma had only been fishing? He replayed the conversation as he waited in line. Genma could easily have been fishing with all the comments he had made about Anko, and the bits about breaking up and turning heads had probably been meant to con a reaction from him. He didn't think he had said anything that could be added to the rumor mill.

The angry looking chunin manning the desk scowled when Iruka asked him what sort of solo B-rank missions were left. This really wasn't the best time of the day to be picky. Iruka quickly lowered his sights and left the mission room with two menial D-rank mission scrolls. The pay was next to nothing, but they would have him spending the afternoon at the Academy, doing the same sort of work he'd be expected to do during his temp period. Unlike most people he knew, he actually enjoyed cleaning up the back rooms and taking care of the equipment. Now that he was a chunin, these missions included sorting through the offices for misplaced files and helping to sort incoming scrolls. Most chunin, himself included, only worked in the offices when there was nothing better available. He didn't view that as an excuse to be sloppy, though. It just came around to hurt anyone trying to get a mission the next day, not to mention the payment delays due to all of those misplaced files. He'd have to remember to keep an eye out for Anko's last two reports. If she really was aiming to be a special jounin, they had probably been placed in that section by mistake.

He teleported back to his apartment, telling himself he did it to test how he'd set up his wards and not to avoid running into anyone on the walk back. There he settled down to work with his scrolls again, tweaking the seals until he could transport a coin from one to the other easily. Ever so often he'd stop and stare at Kakashi's open scroll, wondering what he was up to. As a jounin he undoubtedly did a lot of A-rank missions. The man could easily be undercover somewhere, tracking an assassination target at this very moment.

.-.

Kakashi was in fact tracking a target at that very moment, but he knew better than to hope for it to end as smoothly as an assassination might have. Naruto had once again skipped out on his training and as his father was currently occupied in the tower, it was left to Kakashi and a few select Anbu to track him down. This was becoming a far too regular occurrence. The kid had all the enthusiasm and potential one could hope for, but he was still a six year old child at heart. He had the energy for daily taijutsu workouts, and he honestly seemed to adore working with Jiraiya's toads. But the moment he was assigned someone for chakra control or expected to sit through a lecture, he bolted. Each time he made it a little harder for them to find him, which was the main reason Minato made no attempt to curb him. Kakashi understood why he would want to encourage him to hide better, given the kid's natural desire to stand out. These treks through the village frayed his nerves, though. Just last week they had found him crawling out of one of the Anbu training grounds, singed and bloody from all of the traps he had managed to set off while trying to get in there. Kakashi didn't know what to hope for this time, finding him in the market where his antics would be met with exasperated resignation, or finding him at the Academy trying to pick a fight with boys twice his age. Either would be a minor irritant compared to the more deadly places he was prone to wander.

Kakashi paused on a rooftop halfway between the Academy and the market. The other members of the guard turned search-squad were checking the training areas Naruto had failed to make entry into, in case he had gone back for another try. Kakashi summoned his two fastest nindogs and kept his best tracker, Pakkun, on hand in case they had to call in the help of an Inuzuka. He would be impressed if they did. Naruto still hadn't mastered the henge, and the only time he covered his scent was when he crashed into a water source during one of his escapes. As far as Kakashi was concerned, the boy wasn't ready for the rigorous training the Hokage was trying to give him. All Naruto wanted was to play with kids his own age, and while he was mature enough to understand that doing so would place them at risk, that didn't stop him from seeking the attention he craved from civilians and pregenin and any stray shinobi he could catch off guard during one of his romps through the village. He was getting quite a reputation for a child who had little officially sanctioned contact with the rest of the village. Kakashi suspected Minato liked that. He kept him isolated and had him trained young for his own protection, but he didn't want him to turn introverted and emotionally distant from the rest of the village. Kakashi could have told him there was little chance of that. Naruto was a born 'people-person' and if his father wouldn't give him access to people, he would get it on his own. Leaving it to the rest of them to protect him from himself and minimize whatever damage he caused.

A few civilians scattered when Kakashi dropped to stand on one of the busiest streets. The sudden appearance of someone in full Anbu dress often had that effect. A few shinobi eyed him warily as they hurried past, but the vendor across the street from him merely smiled and shook his head. Kakashi walked to him.

"You just missed him," the man grinned. "He went through about five minutes ago. Grabbed two of my riceballs, said mine were his favorite, and tossed me some change. He's still overpaying for these."

"Take it as a compliment," Kakashi said bluntly.

"I do!" the vendor cried after him.

Kakashi took back to the rooftops, noting the lack of damage or confusion below. That meant Naruto had only been making a pit stop on his way somewhere else. Classes had been over for hours at the academy, but he swept by there anyway. Sure enough, there were a few pieces of rice in the dirt below the swing outside. Kakashi set down the brown pug dog that had been riding on his shoulder. Pakkun sniffed around, muttering about the sweet bean paste used in the riceballs Naruto liked so much. As if he wasn't hyper enough without sweets. Then the dog took off around the side of the building. Kakashi passed him up, stalking leisurely onto the little training area reserved for students. Naruto was pouting at one of the pock-marked targets, his arms folded over his chest.

"I can throw better than that," he grumbled, shooting a resentful look over his shoulder at Kakashi.

"Take it up with your father," Kakashi said flatly. "Let's go."

Naruto refused to follow him to the rooftops, so they walked down the darkening streets. Bright-eyed and smug at having gotten his way, the boy looked at everyone they passed, grinning or waving at anyone who offered him a smile. He glowered at the ones who didn't, and glared after the few who ignored him entirely. Kakashi was sure only his presence kept the kid from charging after these last few in a fit of mischief. He'd definitely gotten that from his mother. Once they'd left the heart of the village, Naruto picked up the pace. The rest of the guard had caught up and he knew better than to try sneaking off at night. He had only tried that once, and although the attempted kidnapping had quickly been halted by his Anbu guard, the experience had left him cowed for weeks. Kakashi suspected it wasn't the scare that had upset him so much as his father's disappointment and seeing the injuries his guard had sustained while protecting him. The brat was willful and impatiently defiant, but he came from good stock and it showed.

Kakashi left them safely within the sheltered acres set aside for the Hokage's family, and set out for the tower. Once he'd detailed Naruto's latest escape, he hoped to get an assignment more attuned to his skills. There were a few missing nin he'd been hearing about that he really wanted a crack at. One that had been rising in the sheets was targeting kids as young as his own wayward charge, using them for a particularly gruesome forbidden jutsu. He would wave the pay for a chance to hunt that one. His Anbu name was Hound, after all.

.-.

A scuffle broke out in the Academy training ground during the midday break the following day. Iruka and the other chunin working in the back rooms hurried out to help the teachers break it up. He had heard about these incidents, but this was his first time witnessing one. The Hokage's little blonde son was every bit the firecracker people said he was. Despite his small size, the teachers had a difficult time holding him back. Iruka noticed the two older boys he had drug off the pile were a lot less eager to get back into it. They were eager to get away, however. There was a lot of yelling and finger pointing, as even those who had not been involved in the fight were eager to place blame. An older girl marched into the fray and placed a kiss on the struggling blonde's cheek. He immediately froze and turned bright red. A hush fell over the kids, interrupted only by a few sighs and giggles from the girls and grumbling from the other boys who'd taken part in the fight. The teachers were just starting to get to the bottom of the mess when two Anbu arrived to escort the suddenly meek blonde boy away. By the time Iruka went back inside, the teachers were the ones whispering like excited pregenin.

"Isn't he just the cutest thing?" cooed the woman who'd been helping Iruka clean the equipment. "He looks just like his father, and he's such a little hero! You know, the boys have been teasing that poor girl all year, just because she's maturing quickly. He must have heard them bullying her."

"He's not supposed to be near school grounds," one of the subs muttered. He hurried to finish filling a pouch with kunai for his class before the break ended. "There's trouble every time he shows up. I say if he wants to go to the Academy that badly they should just sign him up already."

"He's much too young," the woman said disapprovingly. "He's bound to graduate right away, and then he'll never get to know his peers."

"As if he'll have any. Did you see him? Not a scratch on him. If that had been a real fight instead of a brawl he could have killed someone. They should either enroll him so he has to behave like any other student, or keep him out for real. I'm going to have a hell of a time making my class concentrate after that scene. As if subbing wasn't bad enough without that brat showing up."

The woman turned to Iruka, her voice dropping as she watched the angry man storm out. "He's just mad because he's been stuck as a sub for the last two weeks. He really messed up on his last mission, so he'll probably be assigned to sub for the rest of the month."

Iruka shook his head, not wanting to encourage her. "We should get back to work. I'll be putting in a few hours in the mission filing room as soon as I'm done here."

"Oh, we'll have this done in no time," she smiled. "It's much easier with two people. Not that I mind this assignment. I love cleaning weapons and repairing the nicks. My father has his own shop, so I get plenty of practice. But usually the students help out so there isn't as much work to do. The older ones are too close to exams now and the younger ones, well," she lifted a badly sanded kunai, "they haven't quite learned how to do it yet."

Now that she was content to talk about herself and the work they were doing, Iruka let her ramble. It was nice to see someone who didn't resent putting a few hours into helping out here. She only took missions to supplement her father's business, which she planned to take over for him once he was ready to retire. Of course, since her father supplied most of the practice weapons used by the Academy, she had an invested interest in ensuring they resisted wear and tear as well as advertised. By the time Iruka parted ways with her, it was with a promise to stop by her father's shop the next time he needed to acquire new weapons. He didn't believe her guarantee of a discount, but he had seen for himself the quality of their work.

His time in the filing room went much more smoothly. Not only did he locate Anko's reports, he found one of his own in the genin files, and a dozen more that had been listed as missing. He also had a new appreciation for how easy it was to misplace things as he watched harried shinobi drop off stacks of the day's take without sticking around to make sure they were filed correctly. That was left to the next shift, who were too busy handing out missions to make sure the stacks they filed were presorted properly. It was an organizational nightmare. As much as Iruka enjoyed feeling useful and needed, it was much quicker to simply take charge. The chunin out front were quite willing to let him take over the filing for the rest of his shift, and when his reluctant replacement showed up he conned him into picking up where he had left off. He hung around for a while, not wanting to see the afternoon's work degenerate into chaos again. He might have lingered longer if one of the special jounin assigned to delivering freshly sealed scrolls hadn't spotted him.

"If you're looking for a regular position, apply at the tower," the man informed him.

"I'm not," Iruka said quickly. "I was just putting in a few hours."

"Can't afford it, huh?" The man smiled knowingly. "It helps to have a day job."

"I'll consider it when I get one," Iruka assured him with a laugh. He had actually already considered doing just that. A few of the full-time teachers put in an evening shift in the mission room. He planned to apply during his temp period when he'd be restricted to the village and every cent he could bring in would supplement his savings. He was still a long way from that, though. He went home and wrote up his reports over a quick lunch-slash-dinner. Then he was right back in the mission room.

The evening crowd was gathering en masse, and Iruka was halfway up the line before he realized it was manned by the same chunin he'd spoken to yesterday. With all of the shinobi the man had seen since then, maybe he wouldn't remember him. Iruka was determined not to leave with anything less than a solid C-rank mission. He handed in his report and once again asked if there were any solo B-ranks available. He knew from the man's face that there were none, and that the man definitely did remember him.

"No," the chunin snapped. "If you're going to be particular, come first thing in the morning."

"I have one," the man in the seat next to him said cheerfully. "I saved it for you," he told Iruka with a wink, "as thanks for helping us out today."

"Thank you," Iruka said, blinking in surprise. "And you're welcome." He heard the first man mutter about 'preferential treatment' as he hurried away. If one of the people out front appreciated his efforts enough to do him a nice turn, that was just fine with him. There were plenty of shinobi who loitered around the mission room day after day hoping for the sort of missions they liked best. Any of them could have spent the last few hours helping instead of standing around. Genma was a perfect example. Iruka couldn't figure out when the man found time for missions. It seemed every time he came in here the man was hanging around, just talking to people. Maybe he worked as an undercover T&I nin and was here to gather information. Trying not to be spotted, Iruka ducked out on the other side of some entering shinobi. As silly as the idea of Genma being an open plant was, there was also a ring of truth to it. The man certainly made it a point to know everyone's business. Iruka had no intention of offering himself up for another fishing expedition so soon.

A few hours later, Iruka was ready to leave. He had finished off his perishables and placed some nasty traps over the cabinets, just in case Mizuki decided to pick the front lock and brave his new wards for a foraging trip. The last thing he did was hide away Kakashi's scroll. He had practiced with his own for hours last night, and gone to sleep with Kakashi's open on the floor beside his bed. That seemed foolish now. The entire point of partners of convenience was that they be convenient. He couldn't sit around and wait for Kakashi to contact him any more than he would expect Kakashi to sit around waiting for him. It was only a matter of time before their schedules and needs matched up, and then he'd see him again.

.-.

Kakashi missed his target by a few hours. He arrived at the scene just in time to interrupt the disposal team. The Mist team was a long way from home, but only because their missing nin had been. They let him linger long enough to confirm that the job had been done, though they refused to say who they had hired to perform it. Since they were on neutral territory, Kakashi left them to their work. It was just as well they had gotten to him first. He would have been obligated to deliver the remains to Mist and despite their tenuous truce, Konoha shinobi weren't exactly welcome there. He still resented that they had allowed the man to stray so far before taking him out. It wasn't as if Konoha didn't have enough trouble without worrying about rogues. There were rumors of a possible underground alliance between Sand and Sound that the Hokage was particularly eager to get to the bottom of. They were already taking steps to increase their watch on the Sound border, but there were no precautions they could take against Sand. They were too deeply involved in mutual ventures with Sand to put them under surveillance as well. The Kazekage continued to insist the rumors were nothing more than scare tactics being presented by their common enemy. So long as Sand continued to publicly deny any dealings with Sound, all they could do was wait. Kakashi did his own waiting at a respectful distance from the disposal team. He would see them on their way before heading back to the village. He was sure the Mist team expected no less.

.-.

Iruka had known the mission would be more complicated than his usual ones when he was required to have an identification seal placed on him at the T&I building beforehand. Rather than a delivery, he was to rendezvous with a stationary team and pick up their progress report. Just finding the designated rendezvous point was difficult since it was on the outskirts of Wind country and, honestly, the sandy terrain all looked the same to Iruka. He lingered for nearly a day wondering if he was in the wrong spot before he realized the team had merely been reluctant to break cover in front of him. In the end he couldn't have said exactly where they had been hidden, though he suspected he might have walked right over them at one point or another. He was handed a heavily warded scroll by a grim-faced jounin, and then he started back. The complications began almost immediately.

He gained his first tail purely by accident. It was a small three-man team of unidentified shinobi who had been covering their progress over the open sand as carefully as him, or as poorly depending on the judge. Iruka would have liked to believe he had noticed them first, but in reality they probably noticed each other at the same moment. The team immediately veered off and Iruka did the same. He headed for the border where the terrain suited him better, while they went deeper into the desert. They didn't go far, though. They must have decided a lone shinobi was worth investigating because two of them doubled back before he could lose sight of them in the haze. They followed casually, making no attempt either to close the distance or to hide their pursuit. That meant their third member was likely circling around in an attempt to get ahead of him. Iruka maintained his speed, resisting his first instinct to run all out. If their third member was circling around, the only way for him to come out alongside or ahead of him would be for the man to cut through the edge of Rain territory. Iruka had intended to cut away diagonally so as to avoid that border altogether. Just because he hadn't spotted any squads on his way past earlier didn't mean they hadn't spotted him. He was sure only the current lack of open hostilities between their villages had kept them from interfering on his first pass. This time he would be passing much closer.

When it came, the ambush was pathetic. The man looked as if he had run into an ambush of his own or, more likely, set off some nasty traps while rushing through enemy territory. If it hadn't been for the two men closing in from behind, Iruka would have avoided a confrontation. He didn't know who they were, so he didn't want them following him into Fire country. He took their leader out, and it was the closest thing to a mercy killing he had ever performed as a shinobi. There was no satisfaction in it whatsoever. He immediately bolted, letting the other two believe he was aiming for an escape. The two men paused over their fallen comrade, and Iruka took shelter behind a rocky outcrop near the mouth of the bottleneck canyon they had hoped to trap him in. He only paused there for a moment, just long enough to see them fall into his own trap. All he spotted was a flash of metal as a single Rain shinobi swept down on them. This time Iruka bolted for real.

He picked up his second tail a day into Fire country. For the first hour he worried that the Rain shinobi might have decided he was worth pursuing. But that shinobi could have easily taken him out before he reached Fire country if he had wanted to. This tail was more raggedly stubborn than anything. He couldn't lose them with false trails, and they didn't set off any of the traps he seeded along his path. At one point he risked doubling back to force a confrontation, only to have them vanish into hiding. It was apparent they were trying to run him down until he succumbed to exhaustion and was easy prey. If he hadn't been so close to Konoha he would have gone into hiding himself and left them no choice but to attack now or risk him recovering. At his top speed he was only a few hours away. He couldn't justify risking his mission when all he needed was a quick boost to reach the village.

He disliked chakra pills on principle. They were expensive and the momentary benefits rarely outweighed the strain they placed on one's body. They were only really useful for those performing jutsus that would be physically impossible otherwise. But it was standard procedure for anyone on a solo mission to have a supply handy if necessary. He had to admit a pill was necessary now. His speed missions hadn't prepared him for a sleepless day after day marathon. Even if his pursuers were as weak as they appeared to be, he might still struggle in his current condition. He didn't for a moment consider that he might lose, let alone die. One didn't think like that during a mission. But he knew a fight would certainly leave him in no condition to safeguard the scroll he'd been entrusted with. If he didn't eat a pill now, he'd be taking two or three of them later.

The sudden boost got him back into the trees, not quite at his fastest pace but a huge improvement nevertheless. He still had difficulty concentrating, but he wasn't worried about bursting the bark on a few of his landings. His pursuers had probably been tracking his scent all along. Despite his increase in speed, he was less than an hour from the village when they finally gave up. He didn't slow down, knowing once he stopped his body would begin to crash hard and fast. He dropped to the ground only when he was within sight of the walls. He barely acknowledged the sentries as he passed through the gate. Reality was setting in almost as fast as the exhaustion. He'd learned his lesson. Whether Genma had jinxed him or his luck had run out, he knew he'd come too close to failing this mission. He should have brought someone along as backup or settled for a lower ranking mission. Most importantly, he needed more training. It was all good and well to supplement his chakra in a pinch, but it didn't help much when he couldn't concentrate enough to fight. Or walk straight, for that matter. He stepped shakily out of the thoroughfare and then teleported to his apartment. He wrote his mission report automatically and trudged back out to turn in both it and the scroll he had picked up. He dropped the scroll off at the front desk of the T&I department as ordered, and then stood in line for a half an hour in the evening crush of the mission room. He barely had the forethought to wait until he was back outside before teleporting straight to his bedroom. He took off his vest and forehead protector, opened Kakashi's scroll with a tired smile, and then crawled into bed fully clothed. He wasn't even aware that he had fallen asleep with the light on.

It felt as if he had barely closed his eyes before he suddenly became aware of a presence. He bolted upright. In the back of his mind he was surprised and pleased that he could still react so quickly. That was marred when he recognized Kakashi and realized from his stance that he could have been standing there for a while before he had noticed him. His eyes dropped to the scroll on the floor to see what sort of object Kakashi had sent, hoping to understand why he had failed to notice its arrival. He was confused to find the scroll closed. He looked back to Kakashi just in time to see him frown.

After watching the man sleep the sleep of the dead or drugged for the last hour, Kakashi didn't expect him to be lucid enough for a lecture. He couldn't help his frown any more than he could help regretting how wary and disappointed Iruka was to see it. He had been trying to contact him for the last three days. He had even considered finding out what sort of mission he was on, once he realized the chunin was probably away from the village. With Iruka's facial scar, he wouldn't need his last name to do a little investigating. He had been confident Iruka would make himself available as much as possible, at least in the beginning, and not being able to reach him had worried him. He didn't like knowing his worry had apparently been justified.

"You're only supposed to open the scroll when you're available," Kakashi said quietly. "When you're too exhausted to notice an intruder, you're not available."

Meaning Kakashi really had been there for a while. Iruka flushed and pushed the cover aside so he could sit up properly. What he was about to say would have sounded more believable if he had taken the time to remove his sandals before getting into the bed. "I am available. I'm sorry I didn't notice when you contacted me, but I'm glad to see you." In truth, he felt heavy and groggy and filthy, but he never felt his best immediately following a mission. Who did? He would still rather spend some time with his partner than be alone. "You should have woken me sooner."

Kakashi hadn't intended to wake him at all. He still wasn't sure what had startled him awake so suddenly. He might have sighed audibly, but he doubted it. More likely, Iruka had simply reacted the moment he had recovered enough to notice him. "What sort of mission were you on?" It had occurred to him that Iruka was unlikely to contact him right away, even if he wanted to see him. Perhaps he had fallen asleep while trying to build up the courage to contact him for the first time.

Iruka wasn't sure what to make of the question. All missions were classified by default. Many genin talked openly about E and D rank missions, and some chunin had no qualms about sharing the details of C's now and then. But no one was foolish enough to disclose the details of a B-rank mission, especially to someone of a higher rank. He shifted uncomfortably, hoping this was a slip on Kakashi's part rather than a test of his discretion. "You know I can't discuss that."

Kakashi blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected him to be such a strict adherent to the rules. He was only a chunin. It wasn't as if he were doing highly classified A and S-rank missions. "I do have the clearance to find out for myself," he informed him. That came out more patronizing than he had intended, so he was surprised when Iruka smiled.

"In that case, we can discuss it once you've found out for yourself," Iruka offered teasingly.

Iruka had assumed he was joking. Kakashi tried not to be exasperated. "Alright, then. Grab some fresh clothes. I'll treat you to a bath and a meal at my place when I get back."

Iruka gaped when he abruptly found himself alone in his room. He slid off the bed sluggishly, and not just because his limbs resented having to move. The mission room was bound to be closed by now. As far as he knew even jounin didn't have access to the back rooms after hours. The only ones he knew for sure had that sort of clearance were members of the T&I division, who were tasked with investigating Konoha's ninjas as a matter of course. Kakashi certainly had none of the sadistic tendencies of the T&I hopefuls he had met. He supposed Kakashi could be more into the intelligence side of the field, but he preferred to believe his clearance came from something completely unrelated. Perhaps he worked in administration or was one of the elite jounin assigned to the Hokage tower. Either position required extra discretion and a naturally high clearance. Or maybe he was over-thinking things. Even chunin working the mission room had a higher clearance than he did, simply because they had to know the general parameters of the missions in order to hand them out accurately, and they had to be trusted not to read the reports for the high ranking missions. He knew S-rank reports were sealed, but he didn't think the A-rank ones were. If the chunin manning the desk had clearance to handle those then maybe even average jounin had access to B-rank mission reports.

He decided to find out later. There was bound to be detailed information on security clearances in the library, and even if he never worked in the mission room himself it was the sort of thing an Academy teacher should know inside and out. He was suddenly curious why none of his teachers had bothered to broach the topic. They had barely spent a month on the inner workings of the village, and what he had picked up since was more rumor and guesswork than fact. Then again, he hadn't exactly been the best student in his class, so he couldn't complain too much if his teachers had chosen to gloss over topics they weren't to be tested on. If it weren't for Kakashi, he wouldn't even be thinking about clearance levels at this stage. He was barely a chunin. He had a long way to go before he could be trusted with vital information. This mission had proven that quite nicely.

He was sitting on the edge of his freshly made bed, a change of clothes in his lap, when Kakashi returned. As soon as he saw his expression, he stood up. He wasn't about to take recriminations from him sitting down. If Kakashi had read his report then he knew about his shoddy performance and the needless risks he had taken. He was fully prepared to own up to his mistakes and didn't need to have them pointed out to him. "I should have taken someone with me. I realize that now."

"You shouldn't have had a choice in the matter," Kakashi said flatly. Iruka hadn't even known who he was meeting with or why. "As a solo run that should have been classified as an A-rank mission. The only way it could possibly qualify as a B is if it required a three-man team led by an experienced jounin with full knowledge of the situation." He could hardly believe the man had come so close to direct contact with a Rain shinobi while carrying a scroll detailing all of the information their team had gathered on them after nearly a year of surveillance. Even if he hadn't been personally invested in Iruka's safety, he would still have been outraged by the blow the village would have faced had that scroll fallen into Rain's hands. And all because of a clerical error? He didn't believe that any more than Ibiki had when he'd handed over both the original mission scroll and Iruka's report. It would be investigated thoroughly. Kakashi was particularly interested to know who had placed the identification seal on Iruka without wondering why a single inexperienced chunin would be tasked with such a mission. The only saving grace was that the scroll Iruka had obtained had gone straight to T&I where it belonged. "It was a mistake."

"Oh," Iruka sighed. That didn't excuse his own shortcomings, but he was relieved to know he wasn't entirely to blame. "This was the first mission I've done where I honestly felt I wasn't qualified for it," he admitted quietly. "If my pursuers had been stronger, I wouldn't have been able to protect the scroll by myself. I really need to train more, both in combat and hiding."

"It's just as well that you ran straight through," Kakashi sighed. He had to let go of his anger, otherwise Iruka would probably beat himself up just to keep him from bothering. "If the second pursuit was a Sound team, they would have found you by your heartbeat no matter how well you hid." The man had only been a chunin for three months and according to Ibiki he was already making a name for himself by snatching up every solo B-rank he could get his hands on. Shinobi burned out fast doing that. If this mission caused him to slow down then at least some good would come from it. "Come on, let's go to my place." He would coddle and feed him, and then let him sleep it off in his bed. He had an idea that was what Iruka needed the most right now, and as his partner it was both his obligation and right to service that need. That he looked forward to doing so was merely a perk.

.-.  
TBC


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you ready to talk or do I have to beat it out of you?"

The taunt might have worked if Iruka hadn't been exhausted. Mizuki really had been training and he wasn't about to pull his punches now that he had a definite advantage. A few hours of nothing but taijutsu was enough to leave Iruka feeling overheated and slightly nauseous. He shouldn't have worn his vest to start with. The speed advantage he'd had the last time they had sparred was long gone. He still had more stamina, but that didn't help much when he couldn't push Mizuki hard enough to break a sweat. He, on the other hand, was drenched. He kept at it anyway. This was more of a workout than he would get on his own and although Mizuki was stronger than last time he still used the same moves as always. Iruka knew he wouldn't have lasted this long if he didn't know his style so well. "The only thing you're liable to beat out of me is my breakfast," he returned with a wry grin.

"No thanks," Mizuki snorted. "If you were going to share you should have invited me over. Now you can keep it." He pressed harder, using basic punches and jabs that Iruka should have been able to block easily. A few got through now that his reflexes were slowing down. "You're losing it, Iruka. What did I tell you? When you make chunin you train with chunin. I know genin with better taijutsu than you."

Considering they had both been genin just a few months ago that wasn't saying much. Iruka let himself take insult, anyway. It gave him the motivation to do something more than block. He landed a hit on Mizuki's side and wondered if he still bruised easily. He had noticed that Mizuki was quicker to block his face now. He took advantage of that vanity until Mizuki grew annoyed enough to force him back on the defensive. That was fine with Iruka. His preferred fighting style relied more on misdirection than physical strength. He could work on his offense on his own. To build a solid defense he needed an opponent. He wasn't surprised that Mizuki had been so quick to volunteer. As soon as he found out Iruka was planning to stick close to the village for a little while in order to get some training in, he had started hounding him for the reason. He refused to accept the simple and obvious reason - that Iruka needed the training.

"I'm not even straining here," Mizuki boasted as he edged him back toward the treeline. "All I'd have to do is take it up a notch and it's all over. Is that what you want? You know I'm going to have it out of you one way or another. I'm not too mature to sit on you until you spill."

Iruka bit back a laugh. Neither of them had threatened that in over two years. Mizuki had started it during a squabble back when they were still in the Academy. By the time Iruka put on enough weight to pin him in return they had been genin and knew how to add chakra to the sit-off. The thought of two chunin rolling around trying to sit on each other was ridiculous. "You're bluffing!"

"Think so? I've got you so worn out you won't even be able to struggle. I haven't just been increasing my strength, you know. I'm working on a chakra boost, too. Do you really want to risk it?"

Iruka knocked him down a swift kick to the head. He didn't pause to gloat over the fact that Mizuki still couldn't see that coming despite his recent training. They had gotten a little too close to the forest and he wasn't about to risk stumbling. Mizuki might very well sit on him while he was down just to prove he could. Whether Mizuki had increased his chakra or not, he definitely outweighed him at the moment. He retreated to the center of the little training ground and listened to the grumbles as Mizuki got to his feet. "I came out here to spar," Iruka reminded him. "Not to wrestle."

"Wimp," Mizuki huffed. He stalked over slowly and stopped a few feet away. "Listen to you. You're panting like you're giving birth and you talk about sparring. Much more of this and I'll have to carry your ass home. Sorry if that's what you were hoping for, but I have other plans for the night."

"All I wanted was a sparring partner," Iruka frowned. He didn't want to get into this again.

"Right," Mizuki drawled. "You're only sticking around the village in order to train because suddenly that's important to you. And I just happen to be the most convenient person for you to spar with. Don't expect me to buy that. Unless you want to explain what's really going on, I have to assume the obvious. If you're suffering from withdrawal that's your own damn fault. You'll have to deal with it yourself this time. Like I said, I have a prior commitment."

"Mizuki-"

Iruka found himself talking to thin air. Mizuki had already taken off. He sighed with equal parts disappointment and frustration. For a moment there things had seemed so natural and easy between them, the way they had been before sex had ruined everything. He didn't understand why they couldn't just get past that. It hurt that Mizuki believed the only reason he would seek him out was for sex. When had that come to dominate their relationship? For years they had relied on each other for everything. As much as he valued his newfound independence he missed his best friend. His only real friend, if he were honest with himself. He had plenty of acquaintances, but no one he was willing to lean on. Maybe that was the real problem. Mizuki had gotten so used to being his crutch that he didn't know what to do with him now that he was determined to take care of himself. His new secret wasn't helping matters any.

It wasn't that Iruka didn't want to tell him he had found someone. He was dying to share that news. Unfortunately he knew Mizuki wouldn't believe him unless he gave him the name. Then he wouldn't be satisfied until he knew everything there was to know about Kakashi, ruining the anonymity. After their last encounter Iruka wasn't willing to risk anything messing things up between them. Just thinking about it had him feeling pleased and flattered and very satisfied. He hadn't realized a casual partnership could extend beyond sex. Now he knew he could turn to him even if all he really wanted was to be held. Not only had Kakashi not pressured him, he had flatly refused his attempts to repay him. He would do that next time and he was already looking forward to it. That was the real reason he was staying in the village. Kakashi had suggested he take a week off from away missions, with the promise that he would call on him if he did. Iruka would have agreed even if he hadn't already decided he needed to get some training in.

He left the training ground intent on checking some of the others frequented by chunin. This was only his second day and he was determined to avoid the mission room for as long as possible. He would take one look at the chaos in there and offer up his afternoons, and probably his mornings as well. That would only leave him the evenings and while he was perfectly capable of training alone he didn't like it very much and it certainly wouldn't help improve his defense.

The first training ground he stopped by was occupied by a single jounin, who appeared to be lecturing a training post. Iruka couldn't resist eavesdropping for a few minutes, just to be sure the man didn't have a companion hidden nearby. Once it was clear the man really was directing his disapproval at the battered post, Iruka moved on. If he couldn't keep pace with Mizuki he certainly had no business bothering a disturbed jounin. His next stop was even more awkward. They were chunin, either of whom he would have felt comfortable approaching had they not been occupied with something better kept indoors as far as he was concerned. They didn't even notice his approach, which meant anyone could have stumbled upon them, including pregenin and civilians. Had they not been so close to the Academy he might have been able to mind his own business and walk away. Instead he had no choice but to throw a kunai at them.

"What the hell?"

"Watch it!"

Iruka stalked forward with a scowl, completely unsympathetic as they painfully disentangled themselves. Izumo had the sense to look humiliated and ashamed. His partner wasn't nearly as smart.

"Iruka! Shit, have you ever heard of knocking?"

"On what, a tree?" His scathing response didn't make much of a dent, so he set his sights on the more shamefaced of the two. "A ten minute walk from the Academy in broad daylight? You didn't even bother to secure the perimeter. If you want to have sex in front of children that badly you might as well do it on the swing out front."

"Come on," Kotetsu groaned. "It's not that bad. Don't listen to him," he said to his partner. "He's just jealous because he's never tried it on a training ground."

"Shut up," Izumo cringed, ducking his head in mortification. "I want to die and I'm taking you with me. You are so cut off!"

"What! You agreed-"

"Temporary insanity. It will never happen again." He shot a desperate look at Iruka. "Please don't tell anyone? I swear I'm not a deviant. I had a good reputation before I started going out with him!"

"Nice. Blame it all on me. Look, Iruka, we both know you're not the gossiping sort. Let him off the hook before he has a panic attack, would you?"

"At least he understands how disgraceful his conduct is," Iruka snapped. "What's your excuse?"

"I saw an opening and I went for it. I'm a shinobi. That's what we do." It wasn't until his partner started glaring at him as darkly as Iruka was that he cracked. "Okay, so doing it here was a bad idea. I admit that and I promise not to do it again. Besides," he grinned, "I heard you coming. If you hadn't thrown that kunai I was going to invite you to join us. Izumo has never been in a threesome before."

"Neither have you," his partner accused with a furious blush.

"That's what you think. I'll have you know-"

"No," Iruka blurted. "I don't want to hear it. Just keep it out of the public training areas, especially the ones so close to the Academy."

"You have my word," Izumo said immediately.

"Suck-up," his partner muttered. A moment later his expression brightened. "Speaking of which-"

"Forget it. You're cut off."

Iruka blinked in surprise when the man darted away. Leaving him with a scowling Kotetsu. He promptly turned to make his own escape.

"Not so fast," Kotetsu called as he hurried to block his path. "You just ruined a whole week of effort. I'll be lucky if he'll even talk to me tomorrow. What gives? You're awfully prudish for someone on the prowl."

"I am not on the prowl," Iruka muttered. He wondered if he had Kotetsu to thank for Genma's adoption of that term. "And if not approving of public spectacles like that makes me a prude then I'm proud to be one."

Kotetsu sighed, giving him a sympathetic look. "Not having any luck, huh? I heard about Anko. Sorry about that. If I had known you had your eyes on her I would have warned you she doesn't play that game. She's all business. Even if she did decide to hook up with someone it wouldn't be with a nice guy like you. You come off as the marrying type."

"Where did you get that idea?" Iruka demanded. "Marrying types don't go into all-male bars."

"Sure they do. They just don't leave with anyone. Asuma is a perfect example of that. He's in there all the time and everyone knows he's as straight as they come."

That explained why Kakashi had said the man was friendly but not available. He supposed some people might go in there merely for the alcohol and company. "Anyway, I never had 'my sights set' on Anko. We had a mission together and that's all."

"Meaning what?" Kotetsu prodded with a sly smirk. "You're not the marrying type or you're not looking for a special jounin? Genma said you wouldn't give him the time of day, so we figured it was one or the other. I'd be glad to help you out if I knew what you were looking for."

"I'm not looking for anything or anyone," Iruka said firmly. He really wished Genma didn't gossip so much. "I went to the bar alone to see what it was like. Now I know. I won't be going back."

"Oh, come on. Don't be that way. You can't give up just because of a bad first try. You should come out with me and Izumo sometime. Or us and Genma. He can get us into the jounin bar. You could probably score yourself an Anbu if you try hard enough. Some of them really dig the cute and clueless thing. You can't set your sights any higher than that."

"Shouldn't you be chasing after Izumo and apologizing for humiliating him? If you do that he might be willing to talk to you tomorrow."

"Nah, he'll hold a grudge for at least a day. If I go anywhere near him now it will just make things worse. He really didn't want to do anything out here. Thanks to you he never will again."

Iruka ignored the reproachful look he was sent. "It's your own fault for picking a training ground. People come out here to train, which is exactly what I was doing when I stumbled across the two of you. Do you want to spar? A sparring partner is the only thing I'm 'on the prowl' for at the moment."

"Sure, why not. I'll have to work off my frustration one way or another. Might as well do it in a way that won't have Izumo kicking my ass later. Are you sure you're up to it, though? You look like you've already gone a few rounds."

"I'm working on my defense. If you stick to taijutsu, I'll do my best to keep up." He was laying it on a little thick, but only because appealing to Kotetsu's ego would make him try harder. He had seen Kotetsu in action and knew the man relied heavily on his weapons of choice. Taijutsu definitely wasn't his strong point. After fighting with Mizuki, Iruka was worn out enough that they should be about even. "If you give me a nice workout I could put in a good word for you with Izumo..."

"Deal," Kotetsu smirked. "But, technically, you already owe me that for ruining my day. I'll have to beat on you for a while if we're going to come out even."

What was it with people wanting to beat on him today? Iruka scoffed, "Assuming you can."

.-.

They were chasing shadows. Everything led back to the same conclusion - a filing error, an unfortunate oversight, the sort of mistake that occasionally happened. The Hokage had sealed the mission and had it delivered to T&I where it was up to Ibiki's department to rank it according to the capabilities of the shinobi they had in mind for the task. There it should have remained unless they decided it was safe to hand out in the mission room. The special jounin who had transported it from the tower confirmed that he had placed it with the incoming scrolls in the T&I department. From there it was Ibiki's problem to figure out how it had ended up in the mission room rather than on his desk. As far as he could determine it had mistakenly been placed with some outgoing B-rank scrolls by the morning shift. An oversight. The chunin running that shift were forbidden from opening the scrolls and were only tasked with stamping them according to the prearranged stacks they found them in. According to the jounin supervising them everything had been done properly, the same as any other day. That particular mission scroll was indistinguishable from any of the others they had stamped, so they had no way of knowing it hadn't been processed yet.

Ibiki was as dissatisfied by the obvious conclusion as Kakashi was. No one in his department took credit for having moved the scroll in the first place. He knew the jounin who had access to incoming scrolls and refused to believe one of them had made such a sloppy mistake. Kakashi's suspicion had fallen on the man who had placed the identification seal on Iruka, but even his story had checked out. He had been presented with a B-rank scroll bearing the Hokage's seal and the order to place an identification seal on the bearer of that scroll. He had done so. Nothing in his instructions mentioned making sure the bearer of the scroll was qualified to have it.

"You have too many chunin in your department," Kakashi pointed out. "Promote some or replace them."

"None of them are worth promoting. The reason they're working here is because they don't ask questions and the monotony doesn't bother them." That they were little more than drones went unsaid. It was their lack of motivation and curiosity that made them the best ones to handle sensitive information they weren't intended to know anything about. Many of them had applied for the mission room only to find they couldn't cope with the constant distractions. "I can assign a few more jounin to supervise, but I'm stretched thin as it is. My best people are in the field."

"I can think of at least one who could do with a more productive use of his time," Kakashi drawled.

"Leave Genma alone," Ibiki glared. "He's useful right where he is. Someone has to keep track of the active shinobi. We certainly can't rely on the records department. They're lucky if they can stay a month behind, and they don't even distinguish between team missions and solo ones."

That was a long-standing complaint of the T&I department. It took valuable time to go through mission reports to determine the qualities of the shinobi who completed them. Their own system added tiers between the broad B, A, and S ranks to give extra weight to solo missions and infiltration and information gathering positions on team missions. The types of missions were far more important to them than the rank, which made it impossible to profile likely recruits based on the official count of how many of each rank a shinobi had done. Kakashi was aware of that. He also knew there was no simple solution to the problem. All he could do was pass along the Hokage's offer. "We can lend you some Anbu to help with the missions. A few have been assigned to the tower for so long they're going stir-crazy. A month long mission now and then would be good practice for them."

"A demotion, you mean," Ibiki muttered darkly. "All of our Anbu-level missions are already covered. If I borrow any of yours they'll be stuck on A-ranks, maybe even B-rank team missions. That's a major step down from guarding the Hokage. I don't need any resentment spilling onto my people, especially the potential recruits."

"Have you had problems with that?" Kakashi asked in surprise. It was fairly common for jounin to pull rank, but he didn't know anyone in Anbu who would do that.

"Not from Anbu," Ibiki conceded. "But if I use them they won't be going as Anbu, they'll be going as jounin. An interesting thing happens when Anbu remove their masks. They turn back into people."

Kakashi snorted in amusement. "I guess I never noticed since I wear two masks."

"Indeed. So unless your people are capable of treating my chunin and special jounin with the respect they deserve you can keep them. I don't allow petty bickering between the ranks in my department. I have a difficult enough time finding the sort of shinobi I need without nonsense like that complicating things."

"You make it sound as if I'm offering you genin rather than Anbu," Kakashi pointed out. He didn't bother to hide his amusement. Ibiki was as protective of his people as he was selective. It was rather ironic considering the man was a torture-specialist. "I'll pass your warning along to the Hokage. I promise he will only send those mature enough to behave themselves."

"Good. You can also give him my assurance that we'll take better care to monitor incoming scrolls. I'll be looking into everyone who had access to that room. If someone did move that scroll intentionally, I'll find out why."

Kakashi made his way back to the tower resigned to the fact that if Ibiki couldn't find a culprit there wasn't one to be found. That was better than suspecting they had a traitor inside the T&I department. It still wasn't a satisfying explanation. If it had simply been a mistake, then someone should have come forward to admit it. That scroll hadn't moved itself. And it was the only one of the incoming scrolls that had been conveniently misplaced. What were the odds of that?

He was nearly to the tower when a worried-looking jounin waylaid him. His day had just gotten worse.

Kakashi was furious by the time he reached the hospital. The message he had received said only that Naruto had suffered an accident and been admitted. Given the boy's Kyuubi-induced healing abilities, he hadn't believed that for an instant. He set his sights on the weaker of the two guards stationed outside the boy's room and intimidated the truth out of him. The Hokage's son had fallen off a roof. Kakashi was staring the man down, daring him to repeat that absurd statement, when the Hokage opened the door.

"Stop torturing RedBird and see for yourself, Kakashi."

He immediately calmed. His teacher wouldn't have looked so bemused if it had been anything but a true accident. He entered the room and abruptly stopped short. Naruto stunk of overly ripe vegetables. From the medley of bandages covering him, he must have fallen into a crate of them. Make that a few crates. The superficial wounds would heal within a day or two, so those had only been bandaged to protect the cleaned scrapes from the rest of him. His right arm and both legs were elevated and hidden by bulky casts. For a long moment Kakashi could only stare, marveling at the amount of damage the kid had managed to do to himself. Then he sighed and shook his head at the red-faced boy. "You fell off a roof?"

"It's all your fault!" Naruto tugged on his right arm before finally using his left to point accusingly at Kakashi. "If you had been there I wouldn't have had to go along the roofs!"

The Hokage sent him a quelling look and resumed his seat on the stool beside the bed. "It seems Naruto has been skimping on his chakra control lessons more than we thought. He fell off the roof, broke his wrist and both ankles failing to catch himself with his chakra, and then barrelled through a stack of rotten produce destined for one of the farms."

"I stumbled on a crack," Naruto insisted. "That roof sucks. And I meant to land on those crates! It's not my fault they couldn't hold me. They should have built them stronger."

"He has been cutting out more often lately during the chakra lessons," Kakashi remarked, ignoring the boy. "Perhaps you should increase the number of guards during those."

"That won't stop me!" Naruto yelled, fuming at being ignored. "I hate that guy! He doesn't even look at me. It's all Hokage-sama this and Yondaime-sama that, and your father is so great you should be so proud. He doesn't even notice when I leave. You should have heard him this morning. I tripped on the steps and he didn't even hear me because he was too busy telling my chair how great you are." He glared at his father and then turned his face away from them. "If you want someone to sit around listening to that you do it. I won't!"

The Hokage turned an amused look back at Kakashi. "I might suspect there was a personality conflict if his last instructor hadn't run into similar trouble getting him to pay attention."

"Ebisu does tend to get carried away when he's extolling your virtues," Kakashi admitted. "You have so many of them, after all."

"I do, don't I," Minato sighed. "I should have thought ahead to the consequences before doing so many great things."

Naruto whined, tugging fitfully on his bound and elevated limbs He managed to pry one of his ankles loose, and his father calmly lifted it back into place.

"Well," said Kakashi, "now that he's immobile maybe you should send his instructors here. He'll have no choice but to sit through the lectures now."

"I'm considering it," Minato said with a sober nod. "If he's going to be bedridden for the next few months he might as well be learning something."

Naruto tipped his head back and wailed. His voice was so high pitched it came out more as a spoiled shriek than the cry of fury he intended it to be. Kakashi was impressed that Minato put up with it for an entire minute before whipping a hand over that gaping maw. He was even more impressed when the brat slobbered on him instead of biting. He knew for a fact Naruto had bitten Ebisu the one and only time he had tried to silence him that way. That was before the man learned to simply talk over his tantrums.

"Really, Naruto," Minato grimaced, wiping his wet palm on the sheet. "You have no idea where the scrolls I've handled today have been."

"Ew!" Naruto whined. He scrubbed a bit of the sheet over his tongue. "You're supposed to wash your hands before you touch me. You said so! Now I'm gonna catch something and then I really will be a cripple for life!"

"Not for life, just for a few months until the bones heal. And rather than germs, you should be more worried about the minute traces of poison, blood, and dirt. Don't worry, though. If you absorbed enough poison for your hair to fall out you can always use a henge."

"He hasn't mastered that yet," Kakashi pointed out sadly.

"Oh, that's right. Well, some people look good bald." Naruto's whining increased in volume as he worked his way into another wail. His father cut him off by patting a hand on his pillow, close enough to make him cringe away from the possibly contaminated fingers. "Just think of all the attention you'd get with a shiny head. Once you're hobbling around on crutches people will stop comparing you to me and start comparing you to my grandfather instead."

"He was wrinkly," Naruto grumbled. "And I'm not using crutches. No one's gonna see me hobbling anywhere. I'm staying right here until the fox heals me or Baachan comes." His eyes narrowed in a squinty glare, which he turned on Kakashi. "Go get Baachan. Now! That's an order from your next Hokage."

Since the order was coming from a whiny child who literally couldn't use his chakra to save his life, Kakashi felt it safe to ignore him. "Would you like him transported home?" he asked the Hokage.

"I'll let him stay here for a few weeks, since he's so set on the idea," Minato smiled.

Meaning he would let him stay overnight alone here, so that by tomorrow he was begging to go home. "And Tsunade?"

"I've sent a message to Jiraiya, but she's still on vacation. By the time he tracks her down, Naruto should be almost ready to walk without his crutches."

"I'm not using crutches!" Naruto shouted.

"I doubt she'll hurry back for something as minor as this," he shrugged, as if he didn't know she would rush back the moment she heard what had happened. "It's just as well. Spending some time as a cripple might even teach Naruto to appreciate his chakra enough to learn how to use it."

"That's true," Kakashi said, talking over the ranting boy in the bed.

The Hokage stood and walked to him so he wouldn't have to raise his voice in order to be heard. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you when you were otherwise occupied."

"Not with anything fruitful." He passed along Ibiki's findings as well as the qualifications he had placed on any Anbu he 'borrowed' from among the Hokage's personal guard.

"I understand his concern. He has his eyes on Anko," Minato explained.

"I see." In that case Ibiki really did have a valid reason to be especially careful in accepting anyone he might have working alongside her. "Lend him Gai," Kakashi suggested. Gai didn't consider any missions beneath him, and rather than be biased against her he would appreciate her determination to prove herself an asset to the village. He was also the last person Ibiki would expect or want. The Hokage must have been thinking along the same lines because he shook his head with amusement.

"I'll compile a list for him to consider. In the morning." He sent a quick look back at his now quietly pouting son. "I expect to be here for a while. Consider yourself available if Ibiki has any missions you're interested in. It should be a while before this one is in any condition to cause trouble."

Kakashi willingly took his leave. He did consider returning to T&I, but he honestly didn't view himself as a likely candidate to help train in Ibiki's new recruits. He preferred assassinations over infiltration and surveillance jobs. When it came to team missions he favored partners he knew well, and there were only a few he could work with smoothly. He was just the type of jounin Ibiki didn't want, one liable to pull rank and complete the mission himself if his teammates weren't up to the task. That was a side effect of having been in Anbu for so long. His people skills were a little lacking. He proved that to himself when he spotted Iruka in the front lobby and his immediate reaction was anger rather than concern.

Iruka panicked when Kakashi started toward him. He had seen him coming down the hall and had remained as quiet and unobtrusive as possible to avoid catching his attention. But he hadn't been able to resist sneaking a quick and curious look at him. Of course Kakashi had felt it and looked back. Now he was coming over and Iruka had no idea how he was supposed to act. At least he had talked Kotetsu out of accompanying him to the hospital. He would definitely have given himself away with him here and then the entire village would know.

"What happened?" Kakashi demanded. A bandage had been applied to the left side of Iruka's neck. It was soaked through, with a heavy splash drying over the shoulder of his vest. Kakashi could hardly believe it. The man had been out of his sight for less than two days and here he was once again flirting with death.

"It was an accident," Iruka said, in what he hoped was a casual tone. He kept his eyes locked on the intern across the counter from him as he repeated what he had already told her. This would be much easier if she weren't staring curiously at Kakashi as if it were strange for him to ask a fellow shinobi about an injury. "I was clipped by a stray kunai. My partner applied a field dress to it, but neither of us has the medical training to seal it." He felt himself growing impatient and annoyed when the woman didn't even glance at him. The injury might not be serious, but it was bleeding freely enough for his fingers to be sticky where he was holding the gauze to keep pressure on the wound. Surely that merited more attention than Kakashi's masked appeal. "Excuse me," he said firmly, forcing her to acknowledge him. The woman blinked in surprise, as if she had actually forgotten he was there despite the fact that he had been speaking. "Are there any medics available?"

"Yes, of course," she said distractedly. "Have a seat and someone will be with you shortly." She immediately turned her attention back to Kakashi. "Is there a problem in the private wing? We haven't received any calls here, but if you need assistance-"

"No." Kakashi cut her off before she could truly annoy him. She obviously had no idea who had been admitted to the private wing or she would have known any calls they made would be done through the Anbu guard and not the front desk. He grabbed Iruka's arm and pulled him down the hall he had just come out of.

"Jounin-san!" The woman called after him frantically. "Does he have clearance to-"

"Yes," Kakashi snapped without looking back.

"I do not," Iruka hissed, sending him a harried look. He couldn't believe Kakashi was making a scene, not to mention how high-handed he was being. "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting you out of the lobby so I don't yell at you in front of witnesses."

Iruka's mouth snapped shut. He had assumed Kakashi was concerned when he had hurried over to him. Now that he was looking directly at him he could see that he was in fact angry. It didn't take long for him to start feeling angry himself. By the time Kakashi pushed him into an empty examining room he was feeling downright pissed. He pulled away and rounded on him. "What reason could you possibly have to yell at me?" he demanded. Not that he honestly believed Kakashi would yell. The man didn't need to raise his voice to be intimidating.

"You gave me your word you wouldn't be taking any missions for at least a week. It's only been two days and you're even more battered than you were the last time I saw you." Iruka hadn't struck him as particularly reckless. That was half the reason he was so annoyed. He had thought he was finished misjudging the man.

Iruka's anger settled nearly as swiftly as it had come. It had mainly been a defensive response, anyway. "This didn't happen on a mission. I was sparring with a partner in a training ground near the Academy when I was clipped by a stray kunai. That's all. It was just an accident." Kakashi's expression darkened as if he didn't believe him. He was disgruntled enough to raise a mocking eyebrow at him. "Do you really think I would lie when I know you can check the records yourself to see if I have been on any missions? Be reasonable. I would much rather have been wounded during a mission. It's embarrassing to admit I was injured simply because I wasn't paying enough attention." To be perfectly candid it wasn't his inattention that had caused this so much as his slow reaction time. Kotetsu had warned him the moment he spotted the kunai, but Iruka hadn't been quick enough to avoid it entirely. He might have admitted that to Kakashi if the man had shown the concern and sympathy he had expected. Now he wished he hadn't bumped into him at all. Just when he was looking forward to seeing him again, the jounin turned up angry with him. That was becoming a trend with them and he didn't like it one bit.

Kakashi had to take a mental step back. He was too much of a shinobi to accept yet another 'accident' today. Stray weapons were hardly uncommon, especially in training areas frequented by pregenin and genin like those close to the Academy. But the odds of a chunin receiving a near-fatal wound by accident were simply too high. Iruka either had remarkably bad luck or an enemy. Considering he was still alive he doubted his luck was the problem. He would have to share his conclusion, and he already knew Iruka wouldn't accept it willingly. If he had to stand here and listen to Iruka defend the person who had attacked him he was guaranteed to snap and say something he would regret. He turned on his heel and went to the door. "I'll fetch a medic for you. Don't leave this room. You're not supposed to be in this wing."

Iruka scowled after him. He wouldn't be in this wing if Kakashi hadn't dragged him in here. He took a stiff seat on the tall stool next to the examining table and fumed. This was what he got for allowing himself to forget that Kakashi was a jounin. The man probably hadn't even intended to come off as unappologetically rude and bossy. Luckily the memory of how considerate and attentive he could be in private was still fresh enough in Iruka's mind for him to overlook his current attitude. Mostly. He still wanted an apology from Kakashi for accusing him of lying. It wasn't a question of trust. He accepted that Kakashi didn't know him well enough to take him at his word. But as a shinobi he should at least give him more credit than to assume he would tell a lie so easily exposed. Really, it was the insult to his intelligence that he resented the most. That along with the way Kakashi had caught him so unprepared. As far as he knew they weren't even supposed to acknowledge that they knew each other in public, let alone make a scene that would attract attention to them.

He had no idea what excuse Kakashi had given the medic he returned with. The man didn't ask him any questions, and Kakashi merely watched from the position he had taken up by the door. The healing was done in silence and so quickly Iruka was convinced Kakashi had pulled rank in order to get the man here. It was only when the man finished that he looked directly at him. By then Iruka was feeling so guilty about having wasted his time that he flushed and dropped his eyes.

"Don't forget to file an incident report," the medic reminded him. He nodded to Kakashi and then left the room without any further comment.

Iruka immediately lifted a hand to his neck and sent a reproachful look at Kakashi. "You shouldn't have done that. I don't like that sort of preferential treatment. I would have been perfectly content to wait for the first available medic in the lobby like everyone else."

As if Kakashi would leave a partner of his to be treated by some rookie medic. "It was either this or do it myself. My medical ninjutsu is limited. I prefer to leave open wounds to the professionals when possible." Healing it himself might have left a visible scar. Iruka would get enough of those on missions without picking them up right here in the village. He approached and reached over his shoulder to feel the deep cut on the back of his vest. "You didn't mention that it was aiming for the back of your neck. That's quite a lethal target for a stray kunai."

Iruka grimaced in embarrassment. So much for not admitting that he had tried and failed to dodge it entirely. He should have known Kakashi would guess the trajectory the moment he saw the wound. "I had warning and plenty of time to get out of the way. I just wasn't moving as quickly as usual."

"I don't suppose you kept the kunai or checked the area to see who might have thrown it."

His tone was so casual that Iruka snapped him a startled look. "Are you trying to insult me or do you honestly believe I'm that stupid?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him and instead of being annoyed all he felt was disappointment. "Do you have such a low opinion of chunin in general or just me? The truth, please."

"I think you're naive." Possibly by choice, which make it all the more frustrating.

"I may be naive, but I assure you I am not stupid." He wished he could feel as indignant as he sounded. After learning the details of his last mission it wasn't surprising that Kakashi had such a low opinion of him. "I kept the kunai and will be turning it in along with my report of the incident. As for the wielder, I have three possible culprits, none of whom took credit. I will not be providing their names on the report because that isn't required when the incident involves pregenin." Not that anyone had ever hesitated to name him when he had been an Academy student. He gave a bitter smile. "I know that because I was involved in a handful of incidents myself when I attended the Academy. I did not, however, have anyone accuse me of attempted murder when my aim was off. If refusing to place that accusation on children as clumsy as I was at that age makes me naive, so be it."

Kakashi felt much like he had in Ibiki's office earlier, as if he had slammed into a solid wall that all of his senses insisted couldn't be there. He had learned to survive by trusting his instincts, all of which told him three 'accidents' in quick succession, two involving the same person and all involving people close to him was impossible. Yet even he had to admit that a pregenin made an unlikely assassin. "Are you certain they were pregenin?" He knew he was reaching even as he asked the question. He was only surprised that Iruka didn't take insult. The man suddenly seemed to exude patience and calm logic in the face of his unreasonable but instinctive insistence that something suspicious was going on around here.

"Yes. I saw them at the Academy myself shortly before my last mission. There was an altercation and I assisted in restraining two of them. I suppose they might have held enough of a grudge to take a shot at me, but I seriously doubt it. Attacking a chunin is very different from teaming up against someone half their age. Besides, they were terrified when my sparring partner caught them. He also recognized one of them. He should be speaking to the boy's father at this very moment about the weapons they were armed with. They certainly weren't the practice weapons supplied by the academy. So, although I didn't get a confession it's fairly obvious one of the three was responsible. Which one doesn't matter. It was a simple accident and as much my fault as theirs. I knew that training ground was close enough to the Academy for genin and pregenin to be in the area. If I had been paying more attention to my surroundings I would have noticed when they approached and this never would have happened." He didn't take comfort in the fact that Kotetsu hadn't noticed them, either. The man obviously didn't pay attention to his surroundings or he wouldn't have been doing what he was when Iruka had arrived in the first place.

"I don't believe in coincidences," Kakashi said, in a grudging and reluctant tone that wasn't at all like him. He blamed Iruka's unexpected calmness for putting him out of sorts. He was catching a glimpse of the sort of teacher Iruka might make and it reminded him uncomfortably of his own youthful belligerence under Minato's tutelage. He decided he didn't like it when Iruka had logic on his side. He much preferred him confused, flustered, and angry.

Iruka stared at him for a moment and then gave a slow smile. "In that case you must suspect the man who shoved me that night in the mission room was hoping to get us together." That was as likely as a pregenin attempting to assassinate him for interrupting a playground brawl.

"I hadn't considered that possibility," Kakashi admitted, only partly joking. "I'll have to look into that. I can't have shinobi going around playing matchmaker with me." Iruka grinned, and just like that he knew all of his suspicious and hostile behavior had been forgiven. The man was far too accepting of the less appealing aspects of his personality. He let out a sigh as guilt reared its ugly head. "Today has been a frustrating day for me and seeing you injured didn't help matters any."

"Apology accepted," Iruka smiled. "It's probably because we lead such different lives that you misread the situation so badly."

"Excuse me?" Iruka's smile made it difficult to tell if he was being insulted or not.

"Well, first you thought I had been injured on a mission despite my telling you I wouldn't be taking any for a while. You don't know me well enough to realize that when I say I'm going to take a break from missions that's exactly what I'm going to do. I don't take breaks lightly and won't be taking them often. Scheduling a break means tightening my budget and delaying my plans. That's a very serious matter for me. Judging from what I've seen of your apartment it's been a while since you had to rely on mission pay just to cover your bills. My situation is typical for your average chunin. I'm not sure if you really know what that means." He smiled apologetically. "You said your schedule wouldn't let you make yourself as available to me as a chunin's might, but I don't know any chunin with a relaxed schedule. We're in and out of the village at random, training with every spare moment, or working full time in a fixed duty that leaves little time for anything else. I may be taking a week off missions, but that doesn't mean I'll be wasting my time. I intend to get as much training in as possible while I have the chance to."

"I'm not so old that I don't remember how hectic things can be for a freshly advanced shinobi," Kakashi drawled. The fact that he had never been in Iruka's position didn't make him unfamiliar with it. He saw it all of the time, along with the burnout, accidents, and deaths that resulted from rushing too much. "What I don't understand is why you're in such a hurry. You have a modest goal," to put it kindly, "so there's no need to take risks with excessive missions or training." Even without the bloodstains he would have known Iruka was pushing himself too much just by how ragged he looked. "The requirements to teach at the Academy are fairly low."

"So is the pay," Iruka snorted, with a wry grin. That was intentional, of course. The village didn't want teachers who were in it for the money, so there was very little involved. "That's why most chunin resent having to work there. I'm not going to be one of those people who drop out halfway through the temp period. Maybe you aren't aware of it, but that can last for up to a year. It's more of a trial to weed out those who aren't serious about making the commitment than a training period. Those who go into it without saving up in advance are broke by the time they begin teaching, and then they have to hire substitutes in order to fit in any missions they can take to supplement their income until they've been around long enough to have a secure position. I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. If I'm in a rush, it's so that I won't make the same mistakes as others. When I apply at the Academy I intend to have a nice apartment and have enough savings to get me through the temp period and well into my first year of teaching. I also plan to have enough experience to take missions on the weekends, if necessary. I hated every substitute we ever had when I was in the Academy. Now I know why they resented having to deal with us so much. I will never hand a class of mine over to someone who is only taking the position because he can't find anything better."

"I don't know much about how things are done at the Academy," Kakashi admitted with a pronounced frown. If it was as bad as Iruka said then it was a wonder they had any teachers at all. Naruto would have to be enrolled in the Academy eventually, if only to introduce him to would-be shinobi his own age. Minato would be taking a close look at those working there before he allowed that to happen. Kakashi had barely spent any time at the Academy himself, so all he remembered of his teacher was that he had been old and prone to dozing off without noticing how many students were missing when he woke back up. Someone like that wouldn't be able to keep Naruto in a classroom for five minutes. Ebisu had worked at the Academy for a while before making special jounin and hiring himself out as a tutor to the well-to-do families. When Kakashi thought of Academy teachers, he was the sort that came to mind. Know-it-alls with meager fighting abilities who weren't much good for anything else. He couldn't place Iruka in that category. If nothing else, he was far too motivated. "Why do you want to teach so badly?"

"Lots of reasons," Iruka shrugged. "None of which I care to share with you." He offered a smile when Kakashi looked taken back by that. "No offense, but you aren't the only one who likes to keep some things private. Speaking of which, I was under the impression we weren't supposed to acknowledge each other in public. What should I say if people hear about this? I'm not very good at lying."

Kakashi wasn't particularly worried about the little scene he had caused. He was more interested in what reasons Iruka had that were too personal to share. That was sketchy territory right there and he knew it. Since Iruka didn't know what was normal for partners of convenience Kakashi was free to stretch the boundaries a little. But he had no more business prying into his personal life than he had checking his mission report or questioning him about an injury. If he didn't draw a line somewhere, and quickly, he might as well just date the man openly. He wondered if Iruka would be as disturbed by the thought of that as he was. If so, it probably wouldn't be for the same reasons. "If you can't lie credibly, just stick with the truth. I wanted to know the nature of your injury to be sure we don't have a traitor in our midst. Feel free to play up how skeptical I was to learn you were nearly taken out by a pregenin."

Iruka flushed in embarrassment at the thought of that information getting out, and managed a feeble scowl. "Rumor has it I snubbed you at the bar. If I admit you pulled me aside here some people will suspect you're stalking me."

"Which has a ring of truth to it," Kakashi pointed out. If Iruka had expected that news to bother him, he was in for disappointment. "I don't mind if the gossips think I have trouble taking no for an answer. Especially since we both know I do. If anything, it will make me even more attractive to my admirers."

"Which is the last thing you need," Iruka muttered, thinking of the woman at the front desk.

"Are you jealous of them or me?" Kakashi teased.

"You," Iruka said bluntly. "I already get more of you than they do so I have no reason to be jealous of them."

"That's a shame."

"That I get more of you?"

"That you're jealous. You intend to hide yourself away at the academy, so you'll never get to be as famous as I am." He was curious to know how much of that fame Iruka had heard so far. That their paths had never crossed wasn't surprising considering how rarely he showed up in the mission room, and he had no contact with genin at all. But Iruka hadn't even recognized his name. He had to wonder how isolated Iruka was to not have heard even a bit of gossip in connection to his name. He was the only Kakashi in the village, after all, and it was an understatement to say people often talked about him.

Iruka was reluctant to take the bait. He had assumed Kakashi had quite a reputation simply from the way people looked at him. But he knew nothing about his 'fame' and didn't care to. It was awkward enough to view him as a jounin who, at least in public, he couldn't even speak to without a good excuse. If Kakashi really was famous then it was only a matter of time before he heard his name mentioned somewhere and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from listening closely. He wasn't looking forward to it, though. The less he knew about Kakashi's public life the easier it was to overlook everything except the way they got along together when it was just the two of them. Then he was just Kakashi, someone he was surprisingly compatible with and who had nothing to do with work or the place he was trying to carve for himself in the village.

"I wouldn't want to be famous," Iruka said eventually. "I have had a taste of what it's like to be the subject of rumors lately and I would just as soon go back to being invisible. What I envy about you is the way you take it for granted that people will stare at you, that you don't seem to care at all. I bet the mask helps." He smiled a little, not minding Kakashi's raised eyebrow. "If I had started wearing a mask as a pregenin I doubt I'd be as self-conscious now. But I've had my scar for as long as I can remember. By the time I noticed that shinobi typically covered theirs with bandages and masks I was too used to mine."

"Your eyes give everything away," Kakashi informed him. "There's no point in you wearing a mask."

"I know." He noted that Kakashi didn't correct his assumption that he had been wearing a mask for a very long time. Although Iruka preferred not to know about his reputation as a shinobi, he was very interested in him as a person. He had no doubt that the mask contributed to Kakashi's casual self-confidence. No matter how much attention he attracted he was never truly exposed. He didn't even take it off in private because to do so would make him vulnerable. Iruka, on the other hand, wore his weaknesses openly. The closest he came to hiding was behind anger and awkward humor, which were poor masks at best.

"I should go now," Iruka said reluctantly. He was feeling a little too comfortable. If he weren't careful he would forget where they were. "There are things I have to do before it gets too late." He was disappointed when Kakashi didn't ask. That meant he probably wouldn't be contacting him tonight. He promptly scolded himself for expecting too much. Kakashi had his own reasons for being in the hospital that had nothing to do with him. For all he knew he was keeping him from important duties. He rose with an apologetic smile. "Should I walk out or teleport so no one sees me?"

"You can't teleport out of this wing. I'll see you out." He was amused by the way Iruka winced at that. He would have to look into those rumors Iruka had mentioned. Maybe he would drop by to see Asuma while he was waiting for Iruka to go home for the night. He hadn't been 'in the loop' for quite some time, and he was curious to know if anyone had an inkling as to what was really going on with them. Despite Iruka's reasonable explanation he hadn't dismissed his suspicions entirely. There were quite a few people with grudges against him who weren't beyond taking a shot at a partner of his. He couldn't see them going so far as an assassination, but they could easily have overlooked the fact that Iruka was a newly-advanced chunin, making a simple attempt to scare him much more deadly. He didn't even consider that it might have been an enemy of Iruka's rather than one of his own. As far as he could tell the man was harmless, likable, and too quick to forgive to leave grudges in his wake. He certainly didn't have the sort of ambitions that made other shinobi feel envious and threatened.

.-.  
TBC


End file.
